Chapter 24 He wanted to make her cry again.
"Your Highness." When Wei Xun came over, he saw the two embracing, covered his arm, and silently turned away.
Upon hearing Wei Xun's voice, Jiang Shiyao sprang out of Zhou Congxian's embrace.
She blushed with embarrassment and quickly wiped away her tears. When she looked up, she saw his arm stained with blood.
"Wei Xun, your hand!" someone exclaimed.
Zhou Congxian turned around. "Are you injured?"
Wei Xun breathed a sigh of relief. "They're all minor injuries, but the person escaped."
Jiang Shiyao turned and glanced at Zhou Congxian. "Isn't it... the person she found?"
Song Jiyun was a man of strong likes and dislikes, and his actions were often extreme. It's possible that if things didn't work out last time, he would send someone to kill him again this time.
Zhou Congxian shook his head. "No."
Wei Xun glanced at Jiang Shiyao and then said something ambiguous.
"They're the same kind of people as that one."
Jiang Shiyao thought of the great traitor she had just encountered.
She had calmed down a lot, but her voice was still muffled from crying, as if she had suffered a great deal of injustice, "The person I just met..."
She stopped abruptly as soon as she opened her mouth; she didn't know who he was.
"Who?" Zhou Congxian looked at her.
Jiang Shiyao pursed her lips. "Last time, at Huaiyue Tower, Fu'er accidentally tore off my jade pendant and fell out of the window."
"When the frost came down, he was the one who found it."
That day, when Zhou Congxian was hiding from pursuers, he saw Jiang Shiyao and Fu'er by the window, so he threw away his cloak and went straight to them.
He didn't see who picked up her jade pendant.
However, Huaiyue Tower is owned by Prince Cheng...
Do you remember what he looked like?
Jiang Shiyao nodded, "He is dressed in rich clothes, yet he personally buys and eats sesame cakes. He looks like a refined and gentle scholar."
Zhou Congxian and Wei Xun exchanged a glance.
That is, King Cheng.
"Let's go back to the manor first."
On the carriage returning home.
Zhou Congxian looked at her still trembling fingers and asked, "Why are you alone on the street?"
Jiang Shiyao took a breath with red eyes, "I got out of the carriage myself, but the road was blocked. I was afraid, afraid it was another trap."
Zhou Congxian sighed, "It won't happen again."
Jiang Shiyao looked up at him; this was the second time he had said it today.
Her lips twitched slightly, but in the end she nodded gently and obediently.
"yes."
Zhou Congxian reached out and covered the back of her hand, revealing the expensive and heavy filigree gold bracelet on her wrist.
"So this is what you like."
In his memory, Jiang Shiyao always dressed very simply.
Even the jade hairpin that had just run away and broken was so plain that it could almost be ignored.
Jiang Shiyao seemed embarrassed and hid the bracelet in her sleeve.
"How could I possibly afford such jewelry? If it weren't for the Prince sending it to me last time, I would never have had the chance to own such jewelry."
Zhou Congxian nodded thoughtfully.
A moment later, he added, "Don't tell anyone about what happened on the street just now."
Seeing her puzzled look, he hesitated for a moment before giving a brief explanation.
"With the current political infighting in the court, the Duke's mansion is afraid of getting involved. I can't tell you the identity of that person just now, but the best thing to do is to pretend you don't know."
Jiang Shiyao recalls her previous life.
She didn't understand the factional struggles in the imperial court, but the Duke had instructed her not to leave the manor unless necessary.
It seems that Zhou Congxian became increasingly busy after Song Jiyun entered the family, and later he was transferred from Yanwei Camp to Jiying Guard.
No one in the household knew about this. She overheard it by accident when she went to beg Zhao to bring her daughter back.
Although there were no words spoken, subtle changes could be observed within the household.
Jiang Shiyao: "Your Highness, what do the Shadow Guards do?"
Zhou Congxian was surprised for a moment, but still explained, "The Shadow Guards are His Majesty's personal guards, and they are different from the Imperial Guards in the capital and the Yan Guards in the capital."
Why are you asking this?
Jiang Shiyao said "Oh," and then pushed the pot to Fu'er.
"I took Fu'er out a few times recently, and she asked me about the story she heard from somewhere, but I didn't know either."
Zhou Congxian nodded and didn't ask any further questions.
Jiang Shiyao's lips pressed into a thin line. His Majesty's personal guard...
If she hadn't died in her previous life, would there still have been bloodshed?
Amidst the power struggles at court, Zhou Congxian chose to become His Majesty's personal guard, but His Majesty was...
"Your Highness, Lady Jiang, we have arrived."
As Zhou Congxian took Jiang Shiyao's hand and lifted her arm, he touched something in her sleeve.
"What's this?"
Jiang Shiyao broke out in a cold sweat, fearing that the huge sum of money on her person would be discovered.
A hint of guilt flashed in her eyes, "It was me, I exchanged a hundred-tael silver note at the money exchange..."
"Silver notes?"
Zhou Congxian got off the bus first.
Jiang Shiyao climbed out of the carriage, glanced at Zhou Congxian, and seemed to be scolding him.
"Your Highness is rich and noble, but I am poor. I do not want Fu'er to be poor in the future."
"This silver is what I've saved over the years, plus the reward the young master gave me last time. I want to leave it all to Fu'er so she can have some savings to rely on in the future."
Zhou Congxian grabbed her waist and lifted her down from the carriage.
“When Fu’er grows up, I will prepare her dowry myself, so you don’t need to worry about it.”
"With your meager resources, you can't even afford jewelry. Keep it for yourself."
It wasn't that Zhou Congxian looked down on her, but among the women in the household, apart from his mother and grandmother, who else had property?
Jiang Shiyao gritted her teeth.
She's not poor now!
This money is enough for her and Fu'er to live a good life for the rest of their lives!
Zhou Congxian took the purse from his waist and stuffed it into her hand.
"Buy it if you like it. Wearing a bracelet and still trying to hide it makes people think I can't afford to support you."
Jiang Shiyao's eye twitched slightly.
Clutching the money pouch, he obediently admitted, "Yes, Your Highness is right to reprimand me."
When I returned to the courtyard, I saw her disheveled appearance.
"What's wrong, my wife?"
Jiang Shiyao touched her hair and realized that the jade hairpin had fallen out and a lock of her hair had come loose.
As she walked inside, she said regretfully, "I lost my hairpin. I should have worn that pear blossom silver hairpin today."
Shuangjiang chuckled, "My lady, have the young master send some more, then we'll have no shortage of jewelry to wear!"
Jiang Shiyao ignored her question and rubbed her stomach. "I was kept by the shopkeeper's wife for a while, and I'm starving. Is there any food left in the kitchen?"
"Mother He made fresh bamboo shoot soup today and specially saved a portion for you, Madam. It's in the kitchen. I'll go and fetch it."
After the Frost's Descent, Jiang Shiyao carefully stuffed all the silver notes into the hidden compartment of her makeup box.
"Mother, did you bring chestnut cakes for Fu'er?"
Jiang Shiyao turned around and saw her daughter leaning against the door frame.
Fu'er and Little Bone, one dog and one person, peeked their little heads out from the door.
She blinked her round eyes, "Fu'er hasn't eaten chestnut cake for ten seconds!"
The little girl's most prominent feature was the number formed by two outstretched little hands.
Jiang Shiyao corrected her, "It's ten days."
Fu'er readily agreed, "Ten days!"
"He doesn't eat properly, all he thinks about is pastries!" I almost got led astray by this kid.
Fu'er skipped in and nestled in her mother's arms. She wrinkled her nose and said, "The pastries are delicious."
The little bone followed closely behind its little master, then circled the two of them twice before finding a comfortable spot to lie down at its little master's feet.
Jiang Shiyao held her daughter, saying, "Even delicious food can't fill an empty stomach."
Fu'er pointed to the little bone at her feet, "Little bone doesn't eat properly either, it just likes to gnaw on bones."
When the little dog heard its owner call it, it immediately stood up and barked twice.
Little Bone has grown twice as big as when it first came back, and its cries are louder too.
Fu'er made a shushing gesture, "Shh, Little Bone, be quiet, or if Gao Amu hears you, you'll be kicked out."
"Who wants to be kicked out?"
As the sound faded, the aroma wafted over.
Fu'er's eyes lit up instantly!
"Daddy, chestnut cake!"
Zhou Congxian placed the plate on the table, and Fu'er immediately snuggled up to it.
"It really is chestnut cake!"
Zhou Congxian blew on the still-steaming chestnut cake and handed it to his daughter.
"This is chestnut cake that Aunt Gao made today. Her skills are no worse than those of Dexinglou."
Jiang Shiyao knew, of course, that Gao's mother's cooking skills were excellent.
But that was reserved for Zhou Congxian alone; no one else had that privilege.
"It's almost time to eat, Your Highness really knows how to pick your time."
Jiang Shiyao got up to take away the chestnut cake, saying, "We can't eat it anymore, Shuangjiang will be back from the kitchen soon."
Zhou Congxian reached out and snatched the pastries away. "It's just a meal of pastries. You eat meals every day. It's okay to miss one, right, Fu'er?"
"Yes!" Fu'er, as if she had found someone to back her up, immediately ran off with a smile on her face, holding the pastries.
I was afraid that if I was too late, my mother would hide me again.
Zhou Congxian smiled knowingly as he looked at his daughter Yuxue's adorable appearance.
Although no one in the capital was like him, taking a concubine before marriage and having a legitimate son and an illegitimate daughter.
But the thing he regrets least is having Fu'er.
"How many times can a child eat whatever she wants? Let her eat."
With someone protecting her, Jiang Shiyao felt helpless.
Zhou Congxian stayed in the courtyard for dinner that evening. Shuangjiang thoughtfully made the bed and coaxed Fu'er to go to sleep early.
Jiang Shiyao's lips twitched slightly, and she turned to leave.
"Where to?"
Zhou Congxian grabbed her hand, and the bracelet that was hidden in her sleeve fell out.
A warm touch landed on his fingertips.
It seems he's only now discovering this other side of her.
Unlike its previous docile and plain appearance, it is more vibrant and lively.
With a sudden pull, Zhou Congxian pulled her into his arms.
She exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness..."
He wasn't a man of great desires, especially with the recent turmoil in the court; he often didn't return until late at night after finishing his work.
It's been three or four months since he last touched her.
During the day, the image of her crying in his arms flashed through his mind.
Looking into her doe-like eyes in his arms, his gaze darkened slightly.
Sudden.
He wanted to make her cry again.
Layers of gauze curtains, whispering in disarray.
The night rain outside the window came suddenly, pounding against the roof tiles.
Accompanied by the sound of spring rain, the soft, pattering breaths inside the room were almost completely muffled.
Suddenly, the window was blown open, and a fine mist of water vapor blew in.
Layers of gauze curtains rippled gently like water, and soft, intermittent sobs could be heard from within.
"No, I don't want it anymore..."
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