The weather was getting colder.
After an entire night of rain, the air was much fresher the next day. Bai Zhi pushed open the window. On the branches in front of the window, there were still droplets of rain left over from last night's rain, sparkling and translucent, as they fell into the soil below. The room was immediately filled with the unique fragrance of soil after a rain.
Jiang Ruan washed up and had breakfast. She walked to the window, and Lu Zhu hurriedly entered the room. She placed the cup of rose tea on the table, blinked her eyes at Jiang Ruan, and suddenly said in a low voice, "Miss, Da Furen is gone."
Jiang Ruan replied with an "En" and sat down on a chair by the window. The rose tea that Lu Zhu brought back looked extremely fresh and tasty, emitting a faint pink. Under the morning sun, it looked even more moist and lovely. She slowly picked up a piece, her snow-white fingertips holding the pastry, revealing a unique charm.
Lu Zhu continued, "Second Miss is also gone, and Fifth Yiniang is also gone."
Three people had died in succession, but Jiang Ruan's expression did not change in the slightest, as if she had already predicted the outcome. A trace of weariness seemed to flash through her eyes, but it was so fleeting that no one noticed it.
"Wangye's spies saw it with their own eyes," Lu Zhu was somewhat anxious about Jiang Ruan's reaction, and quickly said, "It was Second Young Master who brought his men to find Second Miss, but somehow killed her. When he returned to the fu, he told Laoye that Second Miss had been kidnapped by bandits and committed suicide. As for Fifth Yiniang, she died by swallowing gold. " Lu Zhu thought about it, "Da Furen is a little strange. I heard that last night, Second Young Master went to the residence to visit Furen, and in the middle of the night, he was found committing suicide with a piece of white silk. However, for the time being, Laoye did not allow this matter to be made public. "
Jiang Ruan said faintly, "It is not strange. Now that the fu has come, three people have died. Hong Ying is one thing, but there is only one Yiniang. The sudden death of the Jiang fu's di Second Miss and the Jiang fu's furen will inevitably lead to speculation. Now that the rumors about the Jiang fu are widespread in the capital, my father is very cautious and will naturally not add fuel to the fire at this time. "
Lu Zhu suddenly understood, "So that's how it is. But why did Da Furen commit suicide? Also, that Second Young Master, in order to free Second Young Miss, he killed her. This is really too much. "
A trace of ridicule flashed through Jiang Ruan's eyes, and her tone was frighteningly cold, "He did not do this for the sake of freeing Jiang Su Su as soon as possible. He just doesn't want Jiang Su Su to become a stumbling block in his career. As long as Jiang Su Su is alive, she may become evidence that he will be criticized by others in the future. My Second Brother wholeheartedly wants to climb up, so of course, he will destroy this evidence with his own hands. "
Dewdrop sucked in a breath of cold air. She hadn't thought of this much. This was because no matter how Jiang Chao and his sister treated Jiang Ruan, the two of them would always stand on the same front. The affection between siblings was not fake. Who would have thought that Jiang Chao would abandon and kill his own sister for his own selfish desires? This was truly terrifying.
Although Dewdrop was born in the streets and was more knowledgeable than Baizhi and Lian Qiao, she was, after all, kind-hearted by nature. She could not associate herself with such dark and filthy things. She had always held the view that humans were good by nature. However, Jiang Ruan was different. To a certain extent, she was extremely suspicious of human nature and firmly believed that humans were evil by nature. Things that were difficult for others to consider, when it came to her, would naturally occur to her.
She continued, "As for Furen's death, it was only because of Second Brother's instigation. Now, Second Brother can be considered to have broken a jar and smashed it. He does not care about the path of retreat, so he obviously wants to go all out. I'm afraid that very soon, he will be doing something big. "
When Dewdrop heard Jiang Ruan's words, she was startled and said, "Then, are they preparing to deal with Miss?"
"I'm just afraid that they won't make a move." Jiang Ruan smiled faintly, but that smile, in Dewdrop's eyes, was somewhat cold. She said, "I also want to see who will be the winner in this battle."
Dewdrop did not speak, but after a moment, as if she suddenly thought of something, she said, "Miss, nubi heard from Jiner that in less than ten days, Xiao Wangye will be going to war."
Jiang Ruan slightly paused and lowered her eyes. Ten days, so fast?
...
Xiao Shao was reading a report in his study. The military intelligence that had been sent from the frontier on horseback was full of danger everywhere. Just by looking at it, one could already feel the tension of the situation. Jiang Xin Zhi's whereabouts were unknown, and Guan Liang Han was injured. The morale of the army was at a low ebb, and the Jin army had, for some unknown reason, repeatedly changed their tactics, attacking with the element of surprise. If this continued, the remaining soldiers would be completely wiped out.
On his left was a map of the army's formation. Even if they were a thousand miles away, they still had to control the overall situation. Everyone knew that Jinying Wang was a young hero who commanded three hundred thousand Jinyi Guards, but no one had seen his wisdom in deciding victory from a thousand miles away and strategizing strategies. It would take more than a month to travel from the capital to the frontier. Now, he could only temporarily pick up a brush and write down a defensive plan to send to the frontier. For the time being, he could temporarily hold on until he personally arrived on the battlefield and then kill the enemy while they were unprepared.
The room was silent, and all the Jinyi Guards had retreated. He had not slept a wink all night as he carefully studied the enemy's formation. Up until now, he had not eaten anything.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open. Xiao Shao frowned as he smelled the aroma of food. When he saw who it was, he was slightly stunned. Jiang Ruan had come by herself with snacks and porridge.
These days, although she had been living in the Jinying Wang fu, the two of them had scrupulously observed etiquette and had not done anything that crossed the line. Moreover, Xiao Shao was usually very elusive. During the day, he would be running around outside, and at night, he would come back to study military tactics and formations. The two of them rarely met. Jiang Ruan's temperament was even more cold and cheerless. Her days in the Jinying Wang fu were considered comfortable, but she was not even willing to leave the courtyard.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Ruan had come in person. While Xiao Shao was slightly startled, Jiang Ruan had already walked to his side and put down the snacks and porridge. She said, "The kitchen made osmanthus cake and chicken porridge. They are not too sweet, but I have tasted them and they taste very good." She did all of this very naturally, as if she had done it a thousand times. Xiao Shao glanced at her but did not move.
"You have not eaten for a day." Jiang Ruan said, "Do you want to starve to death in your own fu?"
Jiang Ruan usually treated people warmly, and she always maintained a smiling expression on her face. This made her facial features appear vivid and beautiful. However, upon closer inspection, that smile did not reach the depths of her eyes. It was as if it was only an extremely well-made mask. In the end, it made people feel a faint sense of alienation. Moreover, the times when her emotions were exposed were extremely few. Even when facing Jiang Xin, she mostly had a comforting expression. She had never shown any particularly displeased expression.
Deep down, she was a person who clearly distinguished between love and hate, but whether it was love or hate, it was always hidden under a smiling expression. This made her smile somewhat thought-provoking. Although it was the same smile, the meaning it conveyed was generally different. For example, right now, she was clearly smiling, but the rebuke and displeasure in her gaze was ultimately seen by a certain someone.
Xiao Shao made an "Oh" sound and silently took the spoon from Jiang Ruan's hand. He slowly scooped a mouthful of porridge and tasted it. Normally, he did not feel that there was anything special to eat, but for some reason, today, he felt that it was exceptionally delicious. Xiao Shao was in a good mood and very quickly finished the porridge. Even the pastries that he usually did not eat were also finished.
Jiang Ruan was very satisfied with Xiao Shao's tactfulness. She sat opposite him and said, "I heard that you are going to go to war soon?"
Her question was so blunt, but Xiao Shao did not feel that there was anything wrong with it. He replied, "Yes."
"You …. You must be careful. "Jiang Ruan thought about it and still exhorted him. In the end, in the future, she would still have to marry this person in front of her, no matter what he was like. Now, it seemed that Xiao Shao had always helped her unconditionally. In this life, she no longer trusted people easily, but Xiao Shao was an exception. She paused and said, "I will guard Jinying Wang fu for you."
Xiao Shao was once again shocked by her words and could not help but raise his eyes to look at her.
Xiao Shao was very clear about what kind of person Jiang Ruan was. From the first time he met her, Xiao Shao could clearly see that this young girl was calm and decisive, ruthless and merciless, full of hostility. She seemed to have a lot of secrets and stubbornly sealed her heart in a corner. She seemed to be a heartless person, but in reality, she was not. For Jiang Xin Zhi, she had risked her life and risked everything. In order to protect the Zhao family, she had not hesitated to alienate herself. Even Xuan Pei, whom she had only met once in the palace, had lent a helping hand. She was actually a very protective person, but there were too few people that she could protect.
Today, her words were actually a promise. This was a promise to him. She was saying that Jinying Wang fu would henceforth become a part of her responsibility. I will guard it for you ….
The young girl in front of him had bright eyes and sharp teeth. She was born with a picturesque appearance. Unlike Jiang Su Su's elegant beauty, there was not a single one of her facial features that was not exquisite. Now that she had gradually shed her childishness, she had already revealed a bit of peerless elegance. That pair of eyes that were as lustrous as the clear spring water of a mountain stream seemed to be faintly hooked at the end of her eyes, forming an absolutely beautiful charm. And when she smiled faintly, it seemed as if even the sunset clouds in the sky were reflected in her eyes.
Xiao Shao believed that he had seen countless beauties in his life. At this moment, he could not help but admit that the young girl in front of him was indeed worthy of the four words, "a demoness that brought calamity to the country". If she had the ambition to seduce him with all her heart, she would have met the Emperor who adored beauties. Perhaps, because of her, he would have overturned the country.
"You do not need to do these things." Xiao Shao looked at her and said, "Jinying Wang fu will protect you. If it is unable to protect you, you do not need to waste your energy on this matter."
Jiang Ruan was a person who was protective of her own people, and Xiao Shao was even more so. At that time, the three hundred thousand Embroidered Guards did not have a leader. Xiao Shao was still young, so the Emperor did not dare to easily hand over power to him. The Embroidered Guards became a hot potato. At that time, everyone said that such an elite troop was only loyal to Jinying Wang fu, and that it would be too difficult to truly subdue them. Everyone guessed that the Emperor ultimately regretted disbanding this group of troops. Under the clamor of such rumors, the days of the Embroidered Guards became exceptionally difficult. The soldiers of the army that they had previously suppressed began to throw stones at them when they were down. At that time, it was Xiao Shao himself who stood up and used the condition that he had gone deep into the Southern Frontier to kill the leader of the Southern Frontier to protect the Embroidered Guards. He could overturn a wang fu for the sake of a small hidden guard of the Embroidered Guards, and he could also fight to the death with the nobles for the sake of the wrongful death of one of his subordinates. Xiao Shao's protective nature was well known, and because of this, the Embroidered Guards respected him, loved him, and were willing to go through water and tread on fire for him.
With Xiao Shao's temperament, and now that Jiang Ruan was his future wife, he naturally included Jiang Ruan under his wing to protect her. He did not want Jiang Ruan to be hurt for some empty things. The fact that she had made this promise had already made him very surprised.
"No, Xiao Shao." Jiang Ruan refused, "This is not a dispensable wang fu. This is Jinying Wang fu, the place where your father and mother live. It is the credit and pride of the old Jinying Wang, the dignity of the Xiao family. Even if this dynasty falls, it cannot be trampled on. "She softly said," I will not let it be trampled on. "
Xiao Shao was startled, and an indescribable complex feeling suddenly welled up in his heart. Jinying Wang fu. When people mentioned Jinying Wang fu and Jinying Wang, they would only think of the old Jinying Wang's rebellion. A bad person could do a thousand bad things, but as long as he did one good thing, he would be a good person. A good person could do a thousand good things, but if he did one bad thing, all his previous good deeds would be erased. For so many years, he had protected the Xiao family and the Embroidered Guards. The people were afraid of his power, but they had never sincerely respected him. People were always forgetful. They had forgotten who had led these Embroidered Guards, who had been scolded as traitors, to fight against the foreign clans and maintain the balance of this dynasty in the past. Amidst the flowers, the contributions of the ancestors became more and more splendid, but those who had charged and broken through the enemy lines gradually disappeared.
And she said that this matter was the credit and pride of the old Jinying Wang, the dignity of the Xiao family. Even if this dynasty fell, it could not be trampled on. At this moment, the shock in his heart could not be expressed in words. His actions were faster than his reason. He grabbed Jiang Ruan's hand and pulled her into his embrace.
Jiang Ruan was slightly stunned. She was already in Xiao Shao's embrace. She was lying on Xiao Shao's chest, and she felt Xiao Shao's chin resting on the top of her head. The young man's voice was slightly heavy, and there was a trace of a sigh as he said, "Thank you."
Jiang Ruan's heart was moved. She thought about it, hesitated for a moment, and then also reached out to hug his waist. She said, "No need to thank me. Since I have married here, this is my responsibility."
Xiao Shao slowly loosened his grip, and Jiang Ruan struggled free from his embrace. Before she could stand up, Xiao Shao pinched her chin. She was stunned and looked up at Xiao Shao. However, she found that the other party was also staring at her.
This young man was born with peerless elegance, and he even had a rare heroic spirit. However, he usually had a faint coldness, which gave people a sense of alienation that kept people at a distance of a thousand miles. However, when his brows softened, his entire person had a gentle beauty. His eyelashes were long and straight, and when they hung down, they formed a graceful arc. The most moving thing was his pair of black eyes, which were like a starry sky sprinkled with broken diamonds. In the heavy night, they suddenly forced out endless brilliance, almost dazzling people's eyes.
At this moment, he was pinching Jiang Ruan's chin, and his body was slightly leaning forward. His thin lips were slightly raised, and suddenly, an endless romantic feeling was born. She felt that this cold late autumn day suddenly had a pressing spring light. The young man's features were like a painting, and his appearance was exceptional. However, he had already slowly leaned over with a firm and unstoppable posture.
Jiang Ruan was slightly stunned, and only felt that her body was somewhat stiff. She wanted to directly avoid him, but when she met those ink-black starry eyes, she did not know why, but she did not move.
This young man, although he seemed cold, he was actually very sentimental. His face was cold, but his heart was warm. He was powerful, so he lived his life unscrupulously. In her previous life, she had been too far away from him, but in this life, by a freak combination of factors, they had walked so close. He did not pressure her. Like a drop of water, or a cloud, he surrounded her step by step, and walked into her life. She had tried to resist, but found that she could do nothing about it. She had a tenacious temperament, but the other was not a weak person.
In this life, he had silently helped her, and refused a mutually beneficial cooperation. He … … was not a person who was simply used.
Jiang Ruan slowly closed her eyes. She did not refuse.
His kiss fell on her lips, like a dragonfly touching the surface of the water, and then he quickly retreated — — he was, after all, a gentleman.
Jiang Ruan slowly opened her eyes, and she saw a little joy in the young man's eyes, as well as an affection that could not be concealed. That shallow layer of affection caused a layer of ripples to slowly rise in her heart, and then, like a short knife, it slowly grinded against her heart.
He was such a good person, and his affection was so genuine, and not hypocritical. But, why did it have to be in this life?
If it had been in her previous life, she would still have been that naive, almost stupid girl who had endless hope for love. When she faced Xiao Shao, she would have loved him wholeheartedly, and would have returned his sincere love. But the heavens were always wrong, and the one Xiao Shao met was this cold-blooded, heartless, vengeful, and not loving.
In her heart, a bit of self-loathing and despair of abandoning herself suddenly grew. Xiao Shao noticed her expression and was slightly stunned. Once again, he lifted her chin and forced her to look up at him.
"What's wrong?" he asked with a frown.
Jiang Ruan looked at him and suddenly smiled, "Xiao Shao, do you regret asking the Empress Dowager to bestow marriage?"
"I don't regret it." Xiao Shao looked at him. No matter how calm he usually was, when faced with the girl he admired, he was always like a young boy who had his first awakening of love. He could not guess the complex thoughts of women, and he had never bothered to guess before, so he did not understand why Jiang Ruan was suddenly depressed.
His fiancée had always had an excellent way of concealing her emotions. For example, at this moment, he clearly felt a flash of depression and loathing from Jiang Ruan, but in a flash, she returned to her previous smiling and calm appearance.
Jiang Ruan suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her, and hugged him tightly.
Xiao Shao was slightly startled by Jiang Ruan's sudden initiative. After a moment of hesitation, he reached out and gently patted her back, as if he was comforting a frightened small animal.
Jiang Ruan rested her head on his shoulder. He could not see Jiang Ruan's expression, so naturally, he had no way of knowing what kind of decision his fiancée had made at this moment.
This person was too good. Jiang Ruan closed her eyes, so good that she could not bear to hurt him. Since he had said he would not regret it, in this life, he would not have the chance to regret it. She was willing to let go of the knot in her heart and try. Regardless of whether it was affectionate or heartless, naturally, she would not let him regret it.
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