Chapter 78

◎Restore Memories◎

The happiest moment in a man's life is marrying the one he loves, living a harmonious and loving life together. Xue Lingyu sometimes couldn't help but wonder if what she was experiencing now was just a dream.

Xue Lingyu had just tried on her wedding dress when Jiang He turned around and spent a lot of money to have a pair of auspicious gold locks made by skilled craftsmen. These gold locks were unique in style, auspicious and festive. If she wore them at the wedding, they would surely attract the envy of countless people.

Jiang He also spread the news of the grand wedding, leaving those who had wanted to see Xue Lingyu make a fool of himself speechless. They had originally thought that Jiang He was taking Xue Lingyu as a concubine because of her grudges with him, and that Xue Lingyu would surely be humiliated. Unexpectedly, he became the young master of the Jiang family as the descendant of a disgraced official.

Many people thought that Xue Lingyu had been killed by the Fifth Prince. Now, not only has she escaped death, but she also has such good fortune, which is truly commendable.

When Emperor Wei learned that Jiang He was going to marry Xue Lingyu, he paused for a moment, picked up his vermilion brush, and seemed unsure of what to write. Jiang Wanyi stayed by his side, helping him grind the ink and prepare the paper.

Jiang Wanyi couldn't guess Emperor Wei's thoughts on the marriage, after all, the Xue family was still burdened with such a serious crime.

Emperor Wei took a deep breath and sighed to Jiang Wanyi, "Your sister is quite the devoted lover; she has finally gotten what she wanted."

Jiang Wanyi smiled slightly, "This is all thanks to Your Majesty's kindness. I hope Your Majesty will not hold He'er's willfulness against you."

Xue Lingyu was still a slave, and the Fifth Prince's jealousy stemmed from her. This matter was a thorn in the Emperor's side, and Jiang Wanyi was afraid that the Emperor would oppose the marriage.

The emperor's vermilion brush fell, and in no time the paper was filled with writing. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Consort Xue has raised me with kindness. Since his nephew is getting married, I will add a dowry to his dowry, regardless of anything else."

Jiang Wanyi glanced at it and couldn't help but be a little surprised.

These are all comparable to the grandeur of a prince's wedding. The Emperor still remembered the kindness he had shown to Consort Xue, and after learning that Physician Jiang had treated Consort Xue, he allowed Physician Jiang to use the precious medicinal herbs from the Imperial Hospital at will.

Emperor Wei took the lead, and the remaining noble families followed suit, sending gifts to the Jiang family one after another to congratulate Jiang He on her wedding.

The wedding is scheduled for the end of the month, and the gifts given now are just a small token. These people also intend to get closer to the Jiang family. After all, the Jiang family has no shortage of money, and it is impossible to bribe them. Now that the Jiang family's eldest daughter is getting married, giving gifts at this time can at least leave a good impression.

The Jiang residence has been bustling with activity these past few days. Even from her courtyard, Xue Lingyu could hear the commotion in the front yard, with servants coming and going, carrying gifts sent by aristocratic families into the storeroom.

Since it was inconvenient for Jiang He to handle the gift-receiving, she entrusted it entirely to Old Yuange. Later that evening, she compiled the gift list and, carrying a pair of parrots, explained to Jiang He, "The Marquis of Yingwu's family sent a pair of parrots, which were personally selected by the old Marquis, who said they could help the young master relieve his boredom."

The parrot's fur was bright and it looked extremely cute, immediately attracting Xue Lingyu's attention.

Marquis Yingwu has always been on good terms with the Jiang family. The old Marquis is also a man who doesn't care about formalities, and even the gifts he gives have a unique style.

Seeing that Xue Lingyu liked it, Jiang He accepted the gift with a smile.

Yuan Ge checked the gift list. "The Zuo family and the He family both sent gifts, and even the Feng family sent gifts."

When Jiang He returned to the capital, she beat up the daughter of Imperial Censor Feng and made her stay in the Jingzhao Prefecture jail for so long. Jiang He had no intention of getting along with the Feng family, but unexpectedly, Imperial Censor Feng actually sent her a gift this time. She wondered if the sun had risen in the west.

"Miss, I heard that Miss Feng will be participating in next year's provincial examination, and His Majesty intends to appoint Lord Su as the chief examiner."

The Feng family's plan is to have Jiang He help Feng Meiyu pass the imperial examination. Unless Jiang He is mentally challenged, this is absolutely impossible.

So Yuange asked, "Miss, should we return the gifts from the Feng family? After all, you hit Miss Feng. If she really passes the imperial examination and becomes an official, it won't do you any good."

"After all, it was a gift to congratulate me on my wedding. I won't return it. Accepting a gift doesn't necessarily mean I agree to do this for the Feng family. We'll see when the time comes."

In the end, the Feng family really overestimated her. If she wanted to cheat in the provincial examination, she would have had a better chance by going to the people in the Ministry of Personnel.

"You've hit people before?" Xue Lingyu was quite surprised. Seeing that Jiang He didn't seem like someone who liked to start trouble, she figured it must be something. She said sourly, "It's not because of that Young Master Xue again, is it?"

Seeing this, Yuange silently put down the gift list and left, not daring to listen any further, lest she be implicated.

Jiang He didn't expect him to bring this up again, and for a moment she didn't know how to answer. If she said yes, he would definitely be angry, but if she denied it, it would be lying.

She finally had no choice but to say, "I don't remember."

"Do you remember my name?" Xue Lingyu turned her attention from the parrot back to Jiang He.

This question also reached Jiang He, who immediately held her breath and began to carefully search her memory. However, the longer she remained silent, the darker Xue Lingyu's face became.

“Chunxiao.” Jiang He stared at his face and said, word by word, “Spring sleep is unaware of dawn, this name is very beautiful.”

Xue Lingyu's complexion improved again.

"I thought you were only thinking about that Young Master Xue and had even forgotten my name," Xue Lingyu said, biting her lip as she started teasing the parrot again.

Jiang He had just narrowly escaped death and sighed, "No way."

She wanted to touch Xue Lingyu's hand and pull him into her arms, but Xue Lingyu felt the roughness of her hand, took it and examined it closely for a while, then asked:

"Why do you have such a deep scar on your thumb? Did you get it from a fight?"

He had noticed Jiang He's scar a long time ago. Not only that, she also had many wounds on her arm, like knife and sword wounds. He wondered what she had done in the past.

Now that the wounds no longer hurt, Jiang He didn't pay much attention to them. "It really wasn't from fighting; I picked plum blossoms."

Xue Lingyu suddenly realized and said, "So you like plum blossoms so much, no wonder there are so many plum trees planted in the yard."

He was also wondering how stupid Jiang He was, that she had made such a deep cut just by picking flowers, but it looked like a knife cut.

However, since Jiang He had said she wouldn't lie to him, Xue Lingyu believed her.

He held Jiang He's hand, transferring the warmth of his palm to her, and said softly, "I also really like plum blossoms."

Xue Taifu had been in a coma for more than half a year, and even Ji Weinian, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, was helpless. A doctor from the common people came and claimed that he could wake up Xue Taifu, which made many people in the Imperial Medical Academy unconvinced.

How dare a mere country doctor spout such nonsense, and yet His Majesty and the Phoenix Lord allow her to act so recklessly.

These were the complaints of some young imperial physicians, but Ji Weinian took it all in stride. Whether they were imperial physicians or barefoot doctors, the only difference was their medical skills; otherwise, they were no different. Besides, even she couldn't wake up the Imperial Physician Xue, so it would be even more difficult for others. In the end, if anyone tried to teach a fish to swim, His Majesty would punish them severely.

Since the academy president remained so calm, the others didn't say much more.

However, Ji Weinian was not calm when she saw Doctor Jiang.

The Emperor decreed that Physician Jiang could use the medicines from the Imperial Medical Academy at will. The prescription happened to be missing one ingredient, so Physician Jiang went to the Imperial Medical Academy to get it, but unexpectedly ran into Ji Weinian.

Ji Weinian couldn't hide her shock: "Senior sister, you're still alive?"

Doctor Jiang remained calm and replied, "Yes, I am still alive."

With tears streaming down his face, Ji Weinian said, "Back then, when the Phoenix Lord was cursed with the Beauty Spell, you felt it was your fault for failing to detect it, so you asked to resign and leave the palace. Now, so many years have passed, and you have finally returned."

The Phoenix Lord that Ji Weinian mentioned is none other than the current Empress Xue.

Upon seeing Doctor Jiang, Ji Weinian felt a glimmer of hope. "With your medical skills, you can definitely wake Feng Jun up."

The two hadn't seen each other for many years and fell silent for a moment. It was Doctor Jiang who spoke first, asking, "Tell me, what is the relationship between the young master whom the Jiang family wants to marry and Feng Jun?"

"He is the grand-nephew of the Phoenix King. He often entered the palace when he was young. You and I have both met him."

Doctor Jiang looked helpless: "I was just suspicious at first, but now I'm sure that only the fake death medicine you developed could have such a side effect."

"Senior sister knows everything." Ji Weinian sighed, "It was my disciple who begged me. Besides, the eldest young master didn't want to stay in the Jiang family, so he came up with this method to escape. However, it was inconvenient for me to show up. My disciple is still being held in the Jingzhao government office."

Doctor Jiang couldn't help but raise his voice, saying incredulously, "The eldest young master doesn't want to stay in the Jiang family? And now the two of them are getting married!"

Ji Weinian had no choice but to accept this. The Emperor had already prepared a dowry, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, the eldest son would definitely marry into the Jiang family.

"I have been working on the antidote for a while now, and it will be successful soon. I just hope that it can help the young master regain his memory. Whether he stays or leaves, I will do my best to help him."

Ji Weinian gave Doctor Jiang a deep look. "Senior Sister, the most urgent task is to wake up Feng Jun."

As the wedding day drew closer, Xue Lingyu's belly grew larger and his appetite increased. Not wanting to gain weight, he would insist on taking a walk in the yard after meals, but his legs would ache after only a few steps.

He saw two servants at the courtyard gate, each holding a scroll, and called out to them, asking curiously, "What are these?"

He assumed it was a gift to be sent to the warehouse, so he casually remarked, "Is it another gift to be sent to the warehouse?"

The two servants looked at each other but remained silent.

Xue Lingyu's curiosity grew even stronger. "Open it and let me see."

The two remained silent for a while, and finally one of them stood up and said in a trembling voice, "Please forgive me, young master."

This made Xue Lingyu a little angry, and he said forcefully, "Open it."

The servant had no choice but to open the scroll. It was an ordinary painting of a beautiful woman. One painting only showed the woman's back, her posture graceful and slender, making one yearn for her at first glance. The other painting showed the woman's profile, and her slightly upturned eyes alone were enough to reveal her stunning beauty.

Xue Lingyu couldn't help but sway his body. The profile picture was 90% similar to his own, and it was clear that the paper was quite old. Not to mention, the name of the person in the painting was written at the bottom of the scroll.

Xue Lingyu.

Is this the same Xue Gongzi who ran away from Wudu City for Jiang He?

He suddenly remembered that on the night he first met Jiang He, she was drunk and wouldn't let go of him; that was the name she called out.

It sounded like Jiang He's voice in my ears.

“That’s all in the past. He’s married now and has children.”

So what exactly is he?

Seeing that Xue Lingyu's mood was a bit off, the two servants hurriedly apologized: "This is what Miss instructed us to take to the storeroom. She said that the young master must not see it. Please forgive us, young master!"

Xue Lingyu silently held back her tears and said calmly, "It's alright, you can take it. Just pretend I didn't see it."

Xue Lingyu said to the servant beside her, "I'm tired, help me back to rest."

He didn't want to admit that Jiang He's feelings for him were fake, but the hesitation she showed when she said his name, and the things she had done for that young master Xue, were cruelly telling him the same story.

He was nothing but a substitute; he only gained Jiang He's favor because he looked like her sweetheart.

Xue Lingyu touched her swollen belly, suppressing the pain coming from her chest.

Night fell, and the room was filled with starlight. Xue Lingyu closed his eyes and opened them again and again, unable to fall asleep. He had something on his mind, and it was likely to be a sleepless night.

He sighed, and suddenly smelled alcohol behind him, making him frown.

Immediately afterwards, two hands wrapped around her waist, and someone pressed close behind her. A familiar voice sounded in her ear, "Why are you sighing?"

"It's nothing," Xue Lingyu quickly tried to cover up. "Are you drunk?"

Jiang He nodded. She was hosting a banquet for the officials from the Ministry of Rites today. Xue Lingyu was still a slave, and such a grand wedding would surely cause gossip. The best way was to start with these old fogies. As long as they didn't pry into it, no one would dare to use it as a topic of conversation.

Jiang He knew she reeked of alcohol, but she missed Xue Lingyu terribly.

"I'll just hold you for a little while, then I'll go to sleep in the study after you fall asleep."

Xue Lingyu didn't want to talk to her for the time being, so he simply closed his eyes to avoid her. Unexpectedly, Jiang He's presence gradually relaxed him, and he actually fell asleep.

The next day, someone came to help him try on the wedding dress. Although the wedding dress was already made, in order to prevent Xue Lingyu from feeling uncomfortable because of her growing belly, Jiang He instructed Fang Xiulang to take his measurements again.

This was incredibly thoughtful; even Fang Xiulang couldn't help but admire it.

As Fang Xiulang helped Xue Lingyu try on the clothes, he said with emotion, "When Miss asked me to make clothes using your measurements, I didn't pay much attention at first. I didn't expect that Miss would start to care about you back then."

Xue Lingyu said self-deprecatingly, "I was originally a servant girl. It is truly my great fortune to have gained your attention, Miss."

Seeing that he was not very happy, Fang Xiulang thought that he might have heard some rumors and was belittling himself, so she comforted him and said, "I am old and I dare to give you some advice: everyone has their own destiny. What is meant to be yours will be yours, and no one can take it away from you."

"Getting married is a joyous occasion, especially since the little one in your belly is also influenced by you."

Hearing this, Xue Lingyu forced a smile.

The wedding dress didn't need any alterations. Fang Xiulang left after finishing his task, and Xue Lingyu sat alone, counting on her fingers how much time was left until the wedding day.

The wedding will take place in five days.

I don't know what Jiang He has been busy with these past few days; I can hardly see her.

Afterwards, Xue Lingyu secretly went to the storeroom and retrieved the two paintings without alerting anyone.

He admitted that he had been comparing himself to this young master Xue, and wanted to find out the differences between himself and Xue, so that he could at least find some comfort.

But he also found some other things in the warehouse.

Xue Lingyu looked at the somewhat worn design in his hand, and it was exactly the same as the red jade and agate hairpin in his hair. This hairpin was not specially made for him by Jiang He. Perhaps someone else didn't want it and gave it to him.

He looked at the face in the painting that resembled his own. If he wasn't mistaken, it was the outline that Jiang He had drawn stroke by stroke, filled with Jiang He's affection.

In other words, Jiang He was utterly in love with this Young Master Xue.

Xue Lingyu's heart ached uncontrollably. He wished he could tear the scroll to shreds, but even that wouldn't empty Jiang He's heart. She would forever live in the shadow of this young master Xue.

Xue Lingyu stroked the face of the person in the painting. This young master Xue, as a noble scion of a prominent family, came from a privileged background and was exceptionally handsome. He must have married into a good family in the end.

Tears finally streamed down his face, soaking his clothes in no time. Xue Lingyu felt his vision blur and tried to wipe away the tears that were obscuring his vision, but he found that he had no strength left and fell to the ground. His head hit the corner of the table, leaving a red mark.

Hearing the commotion, the servant immediately ran over and, upon seeing the scene, couldn't help but shout, "Young Master has fainted!"

Jiang He was discussing the wedding with Jiang Wanyi in the Chaohui Palace when a servant brought news to the palace that Xue Lingyu had suddenly fainted and seemed to have been injured. Jiang He immediately had to leave the palace.

Since Physician Jiang was currently treating Imperial Physician Xue in the palace and couldn't leave, and there weren't many imperial physicians available in the palace, Jiang Wanyi asked Ji Weinian to accompany Jiang He back to the mansion to examine Xue Lingyu's pulse.

Ji Weinian is a national-level expert with superb medical skills, so Jiang He had no reason to refuse.

When Jiang He arrived at the mansion, Yuan Ge had already asked Doctor Ji to examine Xue Lingyu's fetus. Upon learning that the child in her womb was alright, Jiang He felt as if she had survived a disaster, but her heart was still hanging in the air.

Why did Xue Lingyu suddenly faint?

After taking Xue Lingyu's pulse, Ji Weinian gave the answer: "Young Master fainted this time because of the depression in his heart and excessive grief. He will wake up after resting for a while. Fortunately, the injury on his forehead is only a superficial injury and will not have a big impact on the fetus in his womb."

As they were talking, Xue Lingyu suddenly woke up.

Xue Lingyu slowly opened his eyes, feeling as if something had exploded in his head, causing him a terrible headache. Some fragmented memories suddenly came together, giving him the illusion of waking up from a dream.

Ji Weinian's heart skipped a beat, and she tentatively asked, "Does the eldest young master have a headache?"

Xue Lingyu rubbed her forehead and looked at Ji Weinian.

A note from the author:

I recommend a novel featuring a strong female lead.

After Being Tricked by the White Moonlight by Shuang Xu Yi Jiu

Han Zhaozhao's family fell into misfortune, and she faced imprisonment. She had a dream.

In her dream, she sought help from Chen Zihui, her father's prized student.

Later, she watched as this man plotted step by step, hiding a knife behind his smile, and manipulated her at will.

She recalled a dream she had before, in which Chen Zihui, beneath his gentle and refined exterior, could no longer conceal his ambition and possessiveness towards her, and at the same time, he was the one who orchestrated the tragedy in her family.

Knowing his desires, Han Zhaozhao embarked on the path of becoming a scumbag woman, deceiving and manipulating people's hearts, and she took every step with extreme caution.

But little did she know that with just one smile, Chen Zihui would fall for it, losing his usual caution and revealing himself as a naive and bright young man.

One day, several masked assassins broke into the room, their blades aimed directly at Chen Zihui. However, Chen Zihui shielded her and pushed her out of the range of the assassins' blades.

Chen Zihui released her grip on her sleeve, lowered her voice, and whispered in her ear, "There's a secret passage under that tree."

Knowing that these people were sent by Han Zhaozhao to kill him, he was afraid of hurting her, so he showed her a way to survive.

She was like a flame, and he was like a moth; knowing the flames would consume them, they would still rush towards the bright light without hesitation.

◎Latest Comments:

[Finished watching!]

[If you don't update, how am I supposed to buy your content? If I don't buy your content, how will I get any nutrient solution? What do you suggest we do?]

[I might not have watched carefully, but I'm really curious why the female lead didn't tell the male lead his true identity?]

[...Why are you all making a fuss? The female lead has gone to such lengths...how can anyone still be so jealous?]

[They're finally running away; all I wanted to see was watch them escape.]

[Oh no... please don't make it too cruel... the female lead is really suffering... if the male lead keeps running away, I'll be really exhausted.]

[It was worth following the updates so diligently for so long, I finally got to see a part I liked!]

[Let's stir things up, let's stir things up, hehe]

-over-