GTB Chapter 227

“Okay,” Jiang Jiuche nodded and walked out.

“What does Jiuchu want to say to me?” Shí Xiu said, picking up the teacup in front of him and taking a sip.

Jiang Jiuchu glanced at the brocade box in front of her and asked Shí Xiu, “What does Regent Prince mean by this? Could you be more clear?”

Shí Xiu paused in his tea-drinking, put down the teacup, and said a little embarrassedly, “I… I am fond of you.”

Jiang Jiuchu pushed the brocade box back. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to taste the word ‘love’ again. I just want to live a carefree life alone now. Besides, I am a divorced woman and not worthy of the Regent Prince.”

Shí Xiu looked at Jiang Jiuchu in front of him, his slightly clenched thumb rubbing against his palm.

“I know that Shí Yan has let you down. You may no longer believe in sincerity because of this, but you can give me a chance. I will never let you down.”

As he spoke, his eyes fell into memories: “That year, at the foot of Jade View Mountain, I lost my heart and fell in love with you at first sight. Later, when I returned to Kyoto, I was overjoyed because I could finally see you, but… you were already married to someone else.”

His eyes looked at Jiang Jiuchu, not hiding the deep affection in his eyes. “I originally hoped that as long as you were happy and safe, I would be fine, but he let you down. Believe me, I will definitely treat you with all my heart.”

Listening to Shí Xiu’s words, Jiang Jiuchu’s heart, apart from some surprise, could not stir up any waves.

She said calmly, “If the Regent Prince is concerned about my feelings, then take back this affection. There are many good women in the world. I have already made it very clear that I don’t want to marry again.”

Hearing this, Shí Xiu looked at Jiang Jiuchu with a helpless expression, “Jiuchu, it’s not that I don’t care about your feelings, but you have already occupied my whole heart. People live by their hearts. I never had a chance before, but now that I have a chance, I think I… can’t control it.”

After listening, Jiang Jiuchu said to Shí Xiu, “I haven’t finished what I wanted to say just now. If the Regent Prince only cares about his own feelings and doesn’t care about my thoughts, then… wait until you ascend to a high position.”

“Before that, don’t come looking for me again. After all, I just divorced the Seventh Prince, and the next moment I’m unclear with the Fifth Prince. If others hear this, I’m afraid they will discuss me in unbearable terms.”

“To put it bluntly, the overall situation is not yet settled, and you have the possibility of failure. So, if Your Highness really has me in his heart, then think about me and don’t put me at the forefront too early.”

Jiang Jiuchu’s words made Shí Xiu perceive multiple meanings.

The hand holding the teacup, his fingertips turned white. Her words clearly told him that if he ascended the throne, she would have no choice. She was not willingly with him.

Or did she think that Shí Yan could win him?

Could it be that even after being divorced, she still couldn’t forget Shí Yan? Did she still have hope for him?

It seemed that his idea of wanting her heart and wanting to cultivate affection first would not work for a while.

“Okay, I promise you, I won’t come to you after today. The next time we meet will be the day you enter the palace.”

“Thank you, Regent Prince, for your understanding.” Jiang Jiuchu was not surprised that he could agree. As for whether it would be successful or a failure in the future, she would make plans then.

After all, she really didn’t want to marry again, let alone enter the palace again to marry a member of the royal family.

……….

The night was dark and moonless, and everything was silent.

In front of the Emperor’s bedroom, Ji Huaizhou glanced at the room and then instructed the patrolling person who came over, “Go patrol the east side, don’t fix a time and place every day.”

“Yes.” A line of patrolmen responded and headed towards the east.

In the room, Shí Yan, dressed in black, wrapped Emperor Yue’an in a black cloak and flew towards the south side.

Everything was silent, and no one knew that the person on the dragon bed had been replaced.

Inside the Xiangfang of Lanji Pavilion, the old man finished taking the pulse of Emperor Yue’an on the bed and said to Shí Yan, who was standing aside:

“Boy, in as little as half a month, or as long as three months, I will definitely be able to restore the Emperor to normal.”

Shí Yan glanced at Emperor Yue’an on the bed and nodded: “Okay, then I’ll have to trouble Uncle Ji.”

After Shí Yan finished speaking, he walked out. Mu Feng, who was following beside him, thought about it and still asked:

“Master, with our current situation, everything can be ready in half a month. When the time comes, we can directly attack the palace and use force to restrain the Empress’s party. Why take the risk of bringing the Emperor back?”

Shí Yan said coldly, “The Empress’s party has been rooted in the court for many years and cannot be underestimated. This Prince wants to be foolproof and allow no uncertainty.”

Mu Feng looked at the back of his master and thought to himself that although the master used to plan strategies, he was not so cautious.

Oh well, later is later. He was just worried that the longer the time, the more sad the Crown Princess would be. At that time, the master would be hard to coax.

The next morning.

In Crabapple Courtyard of Jiang Mansion, Xiao Li threw down the half-eaten melon seeds in her hand angrily, “Hmph, who is it? How dare they avoid this princess.”

She looked at Jiang Jiuchu, who was reading a book, and quickly snatched the book back from her hand.

“Jiuchu, don’t always read books. We are both fallen people in the world now. Can we comfort each other?”

“I don’t need comfort.” Jiang Jiuchu snatched the book back from Xiao Li’s hand and reopened it.

“But I need it! Otherwise, I won’t be able to get rid of this anger. Come on, accompany me out for a walk.”

Xiao Li stood up, grabbed Jiang Jiuchu’s arm, and pleaded, “Sitting like this, I feel like I can’t get rid of this depression. Let’s go, just accompany me.”

Jiang Jiuchu helplessly put down the book, “Where to go? Will you not be angry when you go out?”

“Going anywhere is better than you reading a book. If you can understand and take things lightly by reading a book, you wouldn’t be so lifeless. You are just numbing yourself and pretending to be calm.”

She said, and continued, “However, this can’t be blamed on you. Thinking back, that Crown Prince was so good to you, looking like no one else could catch his eye except you.”

“As a result, he changed his face as soon as he said he would, and divorced you to give way to the daughter of that Zhenbei Marquis for the sake of the great cause. It’s really too much. It’s really seeing the truth in adversity!”

“Stop talking.” Jiang Jiuchu’s fingers holding the book turned slightly white, and her chest hurt severely because of Xiao Li’s straightforward words.

She threw the book in her hand, and a bitter smile overflowed from the corner of her mouth. Sure enough, reading too many insightful famous quotes was just a temporary solution.

Just being said so easily, her heart became uncontrollable.

Seeing Jiang Jiuchu throwing the book in her hand, Xiao Li immediately pulled her out, “Okay, okay, I won’t say it, I won’t say it, I’ll take you out for a walk.”

However, just as they reached the front hall, they saw a familiar figure.

“Hey, Jiuchu, who is that person? He’s quite good-looking, is he a relative of your family? Why have I never seen him before?”

Jiang Jiuchu looked in surprise at Song Fuge, who was following beside her mother, without responding to Xiao Li’s words.

She stepped forward, “Mother, Brother Fu.”

Madam Ye looked at her daughter’s expression, stepped forward and explained, “Young Master Song said he had something to look for you. Mother was just about to send someone to look for you.”

Jiang Jiuchu nodded, then looked at Xiao Li beside her, “Wait for me.”

After she finished speaking, she said to Song Fuge, “Brother Fu, come with me to the front hall to talk.”

“Okay.” Song Fuge responded and raised his foot to follow, his eyes looking at Jiang Jiuchu beside him, feeling that she seemed to have changed, but he couldn’t tell where she had changed.