Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Eight

Jiang Yuyao hesitated, but Jiang Yunxin grabbed her hand and stabbed her in the chest, blood flowing out continuously.

At this moment, Jiang Yuyao didn't know whether she should hate him or not.

She summoned a maid to fetch a doctor, and tore off her sleeve in an attempt to stop the blood from flowing continuously from Jiang Yunxin's chest.

But she hated him. She hated the man in front of her who had driven her beloved to his death. Yet she also hated that he was her best brother. Jiang Yuyao didn't know what to do.

Seeing Jiang Yunxin's pale face gradually losing its color, Jiang Yuyao became somewhat frightened.

"Hang in there, the doctor will be here soon."

Jiang Yunxin smiled slightly. "So you mean you've forgiven your brother?"

Jiang Yuyao remained silent, but instructed the others to escort Jiang Yunxin back to his room.

Jiang Chaoyu was still in her room figuring out how to get back when she heard Cui Cui rush back anxiously, saying, "Miss, the eldest young master has been assassinated!"

His brows furrowed. Jiang Yunxin was a highly skilled martial artist; how could he have been assassinated?

"What happened?"

"I heard it was the young lady who stabbed him."

"!"

Has the conflict finally erupted at this moment? After thinking for a moment, I decided to give up and not get involved in their disputes.

"This is something we can only say between the two of us. If anyone else asks, just say you don't know anything about it, understand?" Jiang Chaoyu put down the storybook in her hand and looked at Cuicui seriously. This little girl is usually very kind-hearted and believes whatever others say, but now it's different. Her life is in someone else's hands.

Cui Cui understood Jiang Chaoyu's meaning and simply said, "Yes, Miss."

Looking out through the doorway, he must be extremely anxious, the commotion disturbing Jiang Chaoyu.

At this moment, the doctor was examining Jiang Yunxin's injuries. However, the doctor said that if the sword had penetrated another foot, it would have been impossible to pull it back even if he went to the Temple of the King of Hell.

Jiang Yuyao stood outside the door. Prime Minister Jiang was running over and saw her travel-worn appearance. He must have been terrified.

"Father······"

Before Jiang Yuyao could continue speaking, even faster than her words came the Prime Minister's slap. He glared angrily and said, "Jiang Yuyao, what exactly do you want to do? If you hate me too, why don't you just kill me and avenge your family?"

After being slapped, Jiang Yuyao simply turned her head away, feeling endless self-mockery in her heart. A hint of sarcasm appeared on her lips as she looked up at Prime Minister Jiang, her eyes bloodshot. She forced back her tears and said, "Fine, it's good if we die together."

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Jiang felt that Jiang Yuyao had truly gone mad. "I've raised you for years, not expecting you to make any contributions, and now you're siding with outsiders. You really like that man so much that you'd kill your own brother, is that it!"

Loved ones always know where the most pain is; these words are like a sword, it would be better if I were the one who died.

Jiang Yuyao lowered her eyes, tears falling like pearls from a broken string. She sighed briefly and laughed self-deprecatingly.

So it seems that one cannot awaken a sleeping person. Somewhat resigned, he said, "Fine, let Father decide what he thinks of me."

Her sleeves fluttered in the wind, and her figure walked resolutely. "Pass on my order: from this day forward, the young lady is to be confined to the courtyard, and no one is to plead for her." These cruel words were carried on the wind.

Jiang Yuyao, who didn't know how many times she had been confined to the courtyard, stroked the sachet in her hand. It had been there for quite some time and had long lost its original fragrance; it was just a gift from an old friend.

My thoughts drifted back to the time when we first met.

"Yuyao, why are you crying here?"

Jiang Yuyao squatted in the corner of the study, tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes, having just been scolded by the teacher.

When she looked up, she saw Bai Yiren standing with his back to the light. Whenever she saw him, he was always dressed in plain clothes. There was some worry in his eyes, and he was holding a handkerchief in his hand, but he hesitated whether to hand it to Jiang Yuyao.

Jiang Yuyao gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and simply said, "It's nothing."

Perhaps because she had been squatting for too long, she was a little dazed when she stood up, but fortunately Bai Yiren helped her up.

Thank you!

"Look, your eyes are all red from crying, wipe them clean." Bai Yiren handed the handkerchief to Jiang Yuyao, but Jiang Yuyao only glanced at it.

"No need, thank you."

Bai Yiren's hand was still in the air when he saw that she didn't want it, so he gave up and took back his handkerchief.

She thought that was the end of it, but the next day she found Bai Yiren's book in her seat, with some additional annotations. Yesterday, her teacher had scolded her, saying that women were not as good at studying as men, and that she should go back to her boudoir and do needlework.

While she was crying, she was also wondering if what the Master said was really true.

But after a night, Jiang Yuyao insisted on coming to the study hall again. Unexpectedly, Bai Yiren noticed it yesterday and even marked all the teacher's words yesterday. When she turned to look at him, he seemed to have noticed her and smiled with his eyes crinkling.

At that moment, Jiang Yuyao admitted that she was smitten.

The wind blew the tassels on the sachet, and also stirred Jiang Yuyao's thoughts, bringing back the scene of her last meeting with Bai Yiren.

At that moment, tears streamed down her face. She didn't know what to say, she just hoped he wouldn't die.

Holding his hand, which had become thin from illness, Jiang Yuyao choked up and said, "I'm so sorry, I never thought it would turn out like this. I'm truly sorry."

Jiang Yuyao knelt beside Bai Yiren's bed, holding his hands tightly. Seeing his gaunt face and lifeless eyes, she felt endless self-reproach.

Bai Yiren wiped away the tears from Jiang Yuyao's eyes and stroked her face. At this moment, he felt that his body was about to give out, but he wanted to use his last strength to comfort Jiang Yuyao and say, "Ayao, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. Blame it on my poor health. It's better to let Axin take over."

Hearing this, Jiang Yuyao shook her head vigorously, "No, no, please get better, let's start over."

That being said, starting over is easier said than done.

The imperial examinations are held every three years and require passing through each level. Bai Yiren shook his head as he looked at his current physical condition, and with a faint smile, he said to Jiang Yuyao, "Ayao, don't be too sad after I die."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuyao's tears fell even more fiercely, blurring her vision, yet she still tried her best to remember the face of the person in front of her.

"Don't go, please, I beg you!" Jiang Yuyao gripped Bai Yiren's hand tightly, afraid that he would be gone at any moment.

The room was now empty except for the two of them. The Bai family had already prepared to hang a white cloth, but Jiang Yuyao simply didn't believe it.

"I'm sorry, Ayao." Bai Yiren also wanted to live, but his body was already depleted, and no amount of nourishing medicine could make up for it.

Hearing this, Jiang Yuyao felt sad and shouted, "Bai Yiren, you heartless man, don't leave me!"

Whether he was a heartless man or a bad person, Bai Yiren had no way to survive. Looking at the appearance of the person he loved in front of him, he felt that this world was truly cruel.

This world is unfair. After three years of lying low, he was taken away by someone else, who was still his most trusted brother. How could he not hate him? But his father didn't care for him, and his mother didn't love him. He was replaced by a mere amount of money. Only the woman in front of him cared about him.

Bai Yiren gently ruffled Jiang Yuyao's hair. She was trying to speak out for herself and fight for her rights, like a mayfly trying to shake a tree. But what does it matter? It's enough that someone genuinely cares about her.

“I’m a heartless man. Would it be better for Ah Yao to find a husband who truly loves her in this lifetime?”

Bai Yiren used all his remaining strength to look around the room. If it weren't for the unfair power dynamics, this room would probably be his and A Yao's wedding room.

Hearing his words, Jiang Yuyao was furious. She shook off his hand, sat on the ground, and said, "Who do you think I am? I can find any man in my life. Do you think I'll be stuck with just you? No way! So you'd better live well and watch me marry another man."

Despite saying that, tears streamed down her face with every word she spoke; it was all just Jiang Yuyao's insincere talk.

But Bai Yiren just stared at Jiang Yuyao quietly, as if using his last bit of strength to remember her. After a long while, he said, "I'm sorry, Ayao."

Jiang Yuyao stubbornly turned her head away, and as she closed her eyes, tears streamed down her face, which she casually wiped away with her hand.

Bai Yiren tremblingly tried to grab Jiang Yuyao's hand, and Jiang Yuyao, seeing this, had no choice but to take his hand as well. Bai Yiren's lips curled slightly, and he looked at Jiang Yuyao with tender eyes, saying, "Our Ayao will always have a sharp tongue but a soft heart."

At this moment, Bai Yiren had no strength left. With his last breath, he said to Jiang Yuyao, "I love you, Ayao."

If Jiang Yuyao hadn't been holding Bai Yiren's hand tightly, he probably would have already lost his strength.

He stopped breathing, and even in his dying moments, he was still looking at Jiang Yuyao with tenderness.

Jiang Yuyao turned to look at Bai Yiren, her whole body trembling with sobs. She shakily covered his eyes with her hand, making him close them.

"I love you too, Bai Yiren."

As Bai Yiren said, Jiang Yuyao is indeed someone who doesn't like to reveal her true feelings. She has never told Bai Yiren that she loves him, and he can't even hear her say it once.

Jiang Yuyao buried her face in Bai Yiren's chest, letting her tears soak his clothes. But no one would ever hand her a handkerchief again, no one would ever comfort her when she was down, and no one would ever know the hidden meaning in her words.

"The person is gone, the hall is filled with banners..." The people performing the rituals began to beat drums and gongs in the mourning hall to send off Bai Yiren.

As soon as the coffin lid was closed, Jiang Yuyao knew she would never see Bai Yiren again.

She was draped in white cloth, wore white flowers in her hair, and looked extremely pale.

Jiang Yuyao knelt before Bai Yiren's mourning hall, burning paper money for him, murmuring, "Go to the other side, and don't be a tolerant person anymore."

Few people in the Bai family are truly loyal to Bai Yiren; even his father only sees him as someone who is after his own interests.

There were so many people kneeling in the mourning hall that one hand wasn't enough to express their sincere devotion.

"Brother Bai, take care. Let's be brothers again in the next life." Jiang Yunxin arrived late and said these words as soon as he arrived at Bai Yiren's mourning hall. To Jiang Yuyao, these words sounded like sarcasm.

Turning to look at Jiang Yunxin, she saw bloodshot eyes from not sleeping for several days and eyes red from crying, filled with hatred.

"How dare you say that! Jiang Yunxin, if it weren't for you, he wouldn't have died."

Seeing the unburnt candles nearby, worried about the candle wax dripping onto her hands, she wanted to use the candles to kill Jiang Yunxin, but was held back by someone nearby and couldn't move.

"You deserve to die, Jiang Yunxin! Why don't you go down and keep him company!"

Seeing this, Jiang Yunxin took a few steps back, finding Jiang Yuyao's near-madness incomprehensible.

"Jiang Yuyao, I am your biological brother, sharing the same father and mother!"

Upon hearing the word "brother," Jiang Yuyao scoffed, saying, "My brother would never kill anyone."

Jiang Yunxin never expected that Jiang Yuyao would think this way, never expected that she would value an outsider more than herself.

Looking at the murderous intent in her eyes, I couldn't help but fantasize: if I were the one lying in the coffin, what would she be like? Would she look the same as she does today?

Do you hate me that much?

"I wish you were dead right now!"

"Brother and sister turning against each other, how interesting!" The wealthy man from the Bai family watched the commotion from the side and found it quite amusing. He never expected that this little bastard he picked up from outside would be able to cause the Jiang family siblings to turn against each other.

From then on, Jiang Yunxin rarely visited the mansion. Originally a civil official, he was unexpectedly dispatched to the battlefield to assist the Second Prince after saving the emperor one day in the suburbs.

Unexpectedly, the second prince, despite his crippled leg, was able to achieve great merit on the battlefield, driving the enemy back. As a result, he was appointed as a general.

He only returned to the Jiang residence now, but unexpectedly, he stabbed himself to atone for his sins.

Jiang Yuyao watched the birds fly across the courtyard. She didn't know when it had started, but her heart had been imprisoned in this courtyard and had never flown out again.

"Doctor, how is my son?"

Ignoring Jiang Yuyao, Prime Minister Jiang looked at Jiang Yunxin, who was lying unconscious on the bed, and didn't know what to do.

The doctor had stopped the bleeding for Jiang Yunxin and was bandaging him. When he saw that it was Prime Minister Jiang, he was about to bow when Prime Minister Jiang stopped him and told him to take a closer look at Jiang Yunxin.

"Don't worry, Prime Minister. Fortunately, the sword didn't go in too deep. If it had gone in another foot, I'm afraid even going to the Yama's temple to ask for the person back wouldn't be enough."

Upon hearing this answer, Prime Minister Jiang breathed a sigh of relief, as long as the person was alright.

As night deepened and the moon was obscured by clouds, Jiang Yunxin slowly awoke to find a familiar person sitting in his room, leisurely sipping tea.

"I didn't expect General Jiang to be so ruthless. If I were standing by, I would definitely applaud him." Xie Yunyin stopped what he was doing after hearing that Jiang Yunxin was injured, and specially came to mock him—no, to comfort him.

Jiang Yunxin tucked the pillow behind his back, slowly got up, and leaned against the headboard. The wound on his chest still reminded him of what had happened earlier.

However, Jiang Yunxin was not one to be easily mocked. He retorted sarcastically, "What is it, Imperial Councilor? What brings you to my residence again?"

Unexpectedly, this matter also reached Jiang Yunxin's ears. Xie Yunyin gripped the teacup tightly and slammed it heavily on the table.

"Our mission has failed. I wonder what the General's opinion is?"

Xie Yunyin was a carefree person. If he hadn't been so eager to break up Jiang Chaoyu and Zeng Chenhua's marriage, he probably wouldn't have rushed to attack the capital. He never expected that his attack on the capital would fail and instead be hated by the person he loved.

It's okay, as long as the person is there, I can win their heart slowly.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yunxin smiled sarcastically and said, "If you hadn't been so anxious, things wouldn't be like this now."

That makes sense. Xie Yunyin was indeed anxious. He looked at Jiang Yunxin, asking for a solution.

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

But Jiang Yunxin seemed to be keeping us in suspense, saying, "Don't rush, just follow me now. You've also suffered a great loss, so you need to conserve your strength. Right now, I'm trying to gain the emperor's trust. When we get the Tiger Tally, that will be the time for us to storm the capital."

"good!"

"But what about that girl in your household?" Xie Yunyin wanted to point out the matter of dealing with Jiang Yuyao. He had heard from his spies that Jiang Yuyao hated Jiang Yunxin to the bone and wished she could kill him herself. Now, looking at the wounds on his body, although he heard that it was Jiang Yunxin who took out the sword, who could guarantee that Jiang Yuyao would not kill Jiang Yunxin again?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yunxin said confidently, "Don't worry, she won't be able to leave the courtyard anytime soon."

The real reason for making Jiang Yuyao let go was not to actually allow her to be imprisoned under legitimate grounds.

He didn't want to see those hateful eyes on him anymore, so locking her up at this time was the best thing to do.

"As long as our plan can be realized in the end, why don't I help you get rid of this stumbling block?" Xie Yunyin said tentatively. Jiang Yunxin glanced at him sideways, and the oppressive aura made Xie Yunyin have no choice but to give up.

"I won't get involved in your family matters."

Xie Yunyin couldn't quite understand Jiang Yunxin. He loved her, yet he could also use her, but the use seemed to outweigh the love.

After Xie Yunyin left, Jiang Yunxin was able to exchange his personal bodyguard for his own.

"How is the young lady now?"

"My lord, the young lady seems rather sad."

Hearing the guard say he was sad, Jiang Yunxin's mood seemed to improve; it seemed she still cared about him after all.

"Go down."

"yes."

At some point, Jiang Yunxin developed a morbid love for Jiang Yuyao. He couldn't bear to see her smile at Bai Yiren, or even let her get close to him. When Bai Yiren died, he wasn't sad at all; he thought, finally, no one can get close to his sister anymore.

Even seeing only hatred in his sister's eyes, he had no regrets. Love breeds hate, and Jiang Yuyao must have loved him too; otherwise, she wouldn't have held back when stabbing him.

Jiang Yunxin was completely absorbed in his own thoughts and did not notice that Jiang Chaoyu had overheard his conversation with Xie Yunyin.

Just now, Jiang Chaoyu was idly strolling around the mansion when she vaguely saw a figure heading straight for Jiang Yunxin's courtyard. The person's furtive appearance made Jiang Chaoyu somewhat suspicious.

But she remembered that someone was guarding Jiang Yunxin's courtyard. If it hadn't been discovered, then it must have been Jiang Yunxin's accomplice.

She wanted to see what this person really wanted to do with Jiang Yunxin. "Spatial displacement lock, advance!"

In no time, Jiang Chaoyu teleported to Jiang Yunxin's backyard. Coincidentally, the backyard was an unguarded place. Of course, it was also possible that Jiang Yunxin was too confident, thinking that no one would trespass into his yard, and therefore did not send anyone there.

While listening to them talk about the previous battle, Jiang Chaoyu realized that the person was Xie Yunyin, but she was also a little confused as to when he had colluded with Jiang Yunxin.

Jiang Yunxin hadn't been to the capital for several years, so how did they manage to stay in touch?

Listening to their plans, it seems their ambitions haven't waned. It seems we have to stop them. After hearing this, I went to find outside help. Fortunately, the guard didn't find any trace of Jiang Chaoyu.