The Showa envoy was speechless. He slumped to the ground, utterly exclaiming, "I never expected this! I never expected this! It was wishful thinking on our part! Your Great Hua Dynasty truly has a wealth of talented people. Even a country woman can play such a beautiful tune!"
"What's wrong with that? Even a three-year-old in my family can play this kind of tune! It's you who are delusional and trying to cause trouble. His Majesty is merciful and compassionate towards your people, and cannot bear to see them suffer from the calamities of war!" Jiang Ling rebuked the Showa envoy.
The Showa envoy blushed immediately. He hadn't expected that a mere woman could utter such profound truths. Indeed, the Great Hua Dynasty was sacred and inviolable!
"Your Majesty, I apologize for our country's wishful thinking. When I return, I will explain to our Emperor that we are still a vassal state of your Great Hua Dynasty, and we will continue to pay tribute to you every year and be your subject every year!" With that, the Showa envoy immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.
Although the civil and military officials were curious about how the village woman had done it, they did not want to reveal it to outsiders.
The Emperor nodded in satisfaction. Worried that Jiang Ling's presence might expose her identity if she stayed too long, he quickly said, "This humble woman, Shi, may step aside for now. She will be rewarded later!"
Jiang Ling immediately knelt down to express her gratitude and left.
After the court session, He Shunsu brought Jiang Ling to the Emperor's side again.
The zither player who had been playing the zither behind the emperor's throne was still there.
"Not bad, not bad! If it weren't for you, Jiang Shi, I'm afraid I would really have a headache. Although Showa is not a big country, it would actually be quite difficult to start a war! Tell me what reward you want, and I will give it all to you!" The emperor was very happy when he said this. He, who was usually not one to show his emotions, had a slight smile on his face.
Jiang Ling shook her head slightly: "Your Majesty has already bestowed upon me more than enough rewards! I am also a subject of the Great Hua Dynasty, and it is a great honor to serve Your Majesty!"
Upon hearing this, the Emperor stroked his chin and didn't bring up the matter again. Instead, he inquired about Jiang Wenxi's situation.
"How is your child, Jiang Wenxi? What exactly happened?"
Jiang Ling poured out her story about Jiang Wenxi once again, and this time the Emperor listened with repeated nods of approval.
"This Constable Ye has taken on a good apprentice. He's so young, yet he already knows how to punish evil and uphold justice!"
Jiang Ling immediately smiled obsequiously and said, "Your Majesty, you flatter me!"
"Alright, you may all leave now!" After saying this, the Emperor waved his hand and dismissed everyone.
Upon returning to the Third Prince's residence, He Shunsu hesitated for a long time before looking at Jiang Ling and said, "My lady, I...I have something I want to tell you!"
Jiang Ling's heart skipped a beat. She knew she couldn't escape now; she couldn't avoid Nianci's matter.
After taking a few deep breaths, she turned to He Shunsu and said, "Is it about Nianci?"
He Shunsu nodded calmly.
"Fine, considering you helped me this time, what do you want to say?" Jiang Ling bit her lip, struggling internally for a long time before finally saying these words.
"It's already a great honor for me to meet Gu Aqi again. This child truly belongs to Gu Aqi and me, so I think..."
"What are you thinking? I'm not your pet cat or dog. Did you ask me before you thought about this?" A childish yet angry voice reached Jiang Ling and He Shunsu's ears.
The two turned their heads in surprise and saw Nianci running over angrily, waving her fists.
Gu Aqi, who was behind them, quickly caught up.
When the three of them finally met again, Jiang Ling felt a mix of emotions, like a bottle of mixed flavors had been spilled.
Blood ties are a truly mysterious thing; they are something that can never be explained or understood, no matter the time of year!
Jiang Ling looked at Nianci, feeling as if she had eaten a lemon—extremely sour and astringent.
"What do you take me for? You give me away when you don't like me, and then come back when you do?" Nianci's face had turned quite red with anger.
“We…we didn’t mean that, Nianci. You have to understand your mother’s good intentions. Your mother had too many helpless circumstances at the time!” Gu Aqi looked at Nianci’s flushed face and almost cried with heartache.
Nianci swept her angry eyes over all three adults present.
"Mother, are you really so willing to give me away to someone else? Am I really not as close as my older brothers and sisters?" Nianci looked at Jiang Ling with tears in her eyes.
These words struck Jiang Ling like a hammer blow to her heart, causing her immense pain.
“Nianci…” He Shunsu’s feelings became complicated as he looked at Nianci’s expression.
Nianci's words were very insightful. Indeed, it was something that he and Gu Aqi had not considered carefully. They completely ignored Nianci's feelings and only cared about bringing Nianci over so that he could enjoy a better life.
Even the usually quick-witted Jiang Ling couldn't utter a word at this moment.
Nianci, her eyes red, glared at Jiang Ling and the other two with gritted teeth.
"You! You! I'll never let you see me again!" With that, Nianci covered her face and ran outside.
"Nianci!" Gu Aqi screamed and rushed out first, followed by Jiang Ling, and finally He Shunsu.
Nianci was small and didn't run very fast. With the help of secret guards, it wasn't long before Jiang Ling and the other two found Nianci hiding under a tree, wailing loudly.
But at this moment they were all a little scared, and no one dared to step forward, for fear of provoking Nianci to run away again.
As Jiang Ling and the other two looked at each other, trying to come up with a solution, an elderly woman dressed simply walked over carrying a bamboo basket.
She was surprised and heartbroken to see Nianci crying loudly under the tree, and finally stopped beside her.
"Little one, why are you crying so sadly?" The old woman's aged voice revealed a hint of kindness.
Nianci didn't expect anyone to pass by at this moment. After hearing someone ask her a question, she stopped crying and looked at the old woman.
Looking at the old woman's kind smile, Nianci choked back tears and said, "I...I...I've been passed around from person to person, and now someone wants to take me back, but I don't want to go back. They haven't even asked me what I think!"
In those days, it was common for children to be sold, let alone given away.
The old woman took an orange from the bamboo basket, gently peeled it, and placed it in Nianci's hand.
“Little child, don’t hold a grudge against your parents. Perhaps they have some unspeakable difficulties!” Nianci didn’t quite understand what the old woman was saying.
He stared at the orange in his hand without saying a word. The old woman lovingly patted his head and continued, "Little one, your parents love you very much. Don't cry. They might be very worried about you running away like this. Even though it's daytime, you still have to be careful!"
As she spoke, the old woman picked up her bamboo basket and turned to leave. Nianci continued to stare at the oranges in his hand without saying a word. The old woman's words made Nianci fall into deep thought. He didn't know how to face Jiang Ling, He Shunsu, and Gu Aqi.
Just then, Jiang Ling finally came out. She knelt down beside Nianci, looked into Nianci's red eyes, and said, "Nianci, it was my fault. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have disrespected your opinion. But you should know that I love you no less than your brothers and sisters!"
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