Chapter 82

Yun Pianpian began to question her existence.
She stared blankly at Jiang Sheyu beside her.
“Is this the Mo Kingdom?”
Jiang Sheyu nodded, “Indeed, it is the Mo Kingdom.”
“And the current emperor is…”
Jiang Sheyu's expression tightened slightly. He looked at Yun Pianpian for a moment before saying, “It's Xiao Changyuan.”
Hearing this name, Yun Pianpian felt as if something had scratched her heart.
A mix of numbness, pain, and itchiness.
A strange feeling welled up inside her.
Yun Pianpian blinked.
She finally understood, she hadn't traveled through time; it was something even more convoluted: she had transmigrated into a book.
On her first day in the book, she encountered the male and female leads locked in a bitter feud, with the female lead planning to send the male lead to a brothel to become a male prostitute.
Yun Pianpian: “...”
This plot derailment is just too thrilling.
Jiang Sheyu watched Yun Pianpian for a while. Seeing her dazed expression, as if she didn't remember Xiao Changyuan, he felt relieved. Smiling, he said, “Madam, Miss Ye and I have some matters to attend to. I must excuse myself for a moment.”
“Solve what? Solve the male lead?” Yun Pianpian's gaze was vacant as she said, “It's nothing, you can go.”
After Jiang Sheyu and Ye Suxin left, Yun Pianpian began to recall the plot. Why did the male lead become the female lead's father's murderer? There were no hints in the original work at all. Wait, there might have been one. In the original story, Jiang Sheyu had given Ye Suxin a letter before her coronation as empress. After reading it, Ye Suxin tearfully burned the letter, saying she wanted to become the empress, and from then on, the music and festivities would cease, leaving only the undying, unyielding imperial power.
Yun Pianpian finally understood why the ending, though seemingly perfect, felt exceptionally tragic and desolate. It was because of that letter. Ye Suxin knew full well that Chu Yi was her father's murderer, but she gave up seeking revenge against him to become the empress.
So now, with the plot derailed, was Ye Suxin directly seeking revenge against Chu Yi because he was no longer the emperor and couldn't make her empress?
Yun Pianpian: “...”
I think I've stumbled upon something crucial.
Jiang Sheyu and Ye Suxin arrived at the damp, gloomy dungeon where Chu Yi lay unconscious, his chest drenched in blood, with no telling when he might wake.
Jiang Sheyu looked at Ye Suxin. “Are you sure you want to use the Soul-Severing Gu to erase his memories?”
Ye Suxin replied with loathing, “I know this beast all too well. He's arrogant and cunning. If he retains his memories, he'll surely escape from the brothel. I want to crush his pride from the very start, break his wings, and make him believe he is nothing but a lowly male courtesan, forever too afraid to flee the brothel.”
Hearing this, Jiang Sheyu slowly curved his lips into a smile.
“Miss Ye is truly brilliant.”
Ye Suxin's gaze turned cold and distant as she looked at the unconscious Chu Yi. “I will repay him in his own coin, making him taste every bit of suffering I endured. I will deliberately seduce him, make him fall in love with me, then hand him over to other men and women, making him willingly serve my purposes. Finally, when he is madly in love with me, I will restore his memories. I want him to regret ever being born in this world.”
“I will assist Miss Ye in this endeavor.”
“Why are you helping me, Young Master Jiang?”
Jiang Sheyu smiled gently. “Because I wish to uphold justice and rid the world of evil.”
“Does Young Master Jiang not desire any reward?”
“Oh? What kind of reward?”
“For example, my body.”
Ye Suxin slowly removed her clothes in front of Jiang Sheyu, revealing her alluring figure as she offered herself to seduce him. “Do you want me, Young Master Jiang?”
Jiang Sheyu looked at her body, his gaze as gentle as ever. “Brother Chu is still unconscious. This seems rather inappropriate.”
Ye Suxin smiled seductively. “Don't you think it's more thrilling with him watching nearby?”
In this world, no one could resist her jade, like body. Ye Suxin wrapped her arms around Jiang Sheyu's neck, intending to offer her luscious red lips, but her lips met empty air.
Jiang Sheyu stepped back, his lips still curved in a warm, jade, like smile, but the warmth did not reach his eyes, which seemed somewhat cold.
“Miss Ye, please have some self-respect.”
Ye Suxin froze, her expression tinged with surprise. “Young Master Jiang, don't you want me?”
Jiang Sheyu replied coldly, “Miss Ye has already obtained what you desired. One should not be so greedy, or it becomes unbecoming.”
These words made Ye Suxin's face turn pale and then flush with anger. She quickly put on her clothes and forced a smile, saying, “I'm sorry for making a fool of myself in front of Young Master Jiang.”
Jiang Sheyu picked up the dagger from the ground, slowly walked over to Chu Yi, and cut his wrist. He then took out a silver box from his robe, placed the Soul-Severing Gu on Chu Yi's wound. As soon as the gu worm came into contact with the blood, it immediately burrowed into Chu Yi's body.
Ye Suxin said, “Thank you, Young Master Jiang.”
A faint smile played on Jiang Sheyu's lips as he replied, “For what comes next, you can seek out Butler Tan at my residence. He will arrange everything for you.”
“Thank you, Young Master Jiang.”
“And one more thing.”
Jiang Sheyu looked at her with cold indifference in his eyes.
“Don't ever come to the Jiang residence again.”
On Jiang Sheyu's face, which was usually as gentle and refined as jade, there was not a trace of a smile at that moment.
Seeing the undisguised indifference in Jiang Sheyu's eyes, Ye Suxin realized she might have crossed a line that day. Her face turned pale as she replied, “Understood.”
Jiang Sheyu took out a handkerchief from his robe, wiped the blood from his hands, and with an aloof gaze, left the damp and gloomy dungeon.
His blue-robed figure, elegant as jade, remained unstained by a single speck of dust.
As Ye Suxin watched Jiang Sheyu's retreating figure, she suddenly understood that, over the past two years, she had never truly seen through this man.
On the surface, Jiang Sheyu was gentle and refined, courteous and amiable, seemingly kind to a fault. Yet beneath that gentle and polite exterior lay a heart of ice and ruthlessness.
He held no one in his eyes.
Ye Suxin couldn't help but wonder if there was anyone in this world who could truly move Jiang Sheyu's heart.
Yun Pianpian strolled around the garden and arrived at the west courtyard. Just as she was about to enter, she was stopped by Rui'er: “A distinguished guest is staying here. The young master has ordered us not to disturb her.”
“Then I won't go in.”
Inside the west courtyard, Jiang Cuicui, heavy with child, heard the voices outside and asked curiously, “Has Brother A’Yu brought someone new to the residence?”
The maid replied, “The young master has taken a wife.”
Jiang Cuicui wanted to pay a visit, but she remembered Jiang Sheyu's warning: she must not let Chen Fanshan find her, so she could not meet anyone.
Separated by a wall of black tiles and white plaster.
Two beauties, hidden away in golden cages, missed the chance to meet.
Yun Pianpian had no interest in the distinguished guest. After familiarizing herself with the surroundings, she decided to go out and stroll through the streets. Rui'er stopped her again: “Madam, bandits have been running rampant lately, and the streets are dangerous. Unless absolutely necessary, it's best not to go out.”
Yun Pianpian found it strange, why was she forbidden from going here and there?
She wasn't a golden canary in a cage.
“Then I'll just return to my room and stay there.”
Yun Pianpian went to the western wing room and idly lost herself in thought as the sky gradually darkened. Jiang Sheyu came to visit her, and the two shared an evening meal together.
At night, fireworks lit up outside the courtyard, illuminating the pitch, black sky.
Yun Pianpian ran into the yard to watch the fireworks.
Jiang Sheyu followed her out and stood side by side with her. He lifted his head to gaze at the fireworks for a while before suddenly asking, “When do you think the fireworks are at their most beautiful, Madam?”
Without a second thought, Yun Pianpian replied, “Naturally, they are most beautiful when they bloom.”
“Not so.”
Jiang Sheyu turned his head and looked at Yun Pianpian with a smile. “Fireworks are at their most beautiful just before they fall.”
Yun Pianpian was taken aback.
Jiang Sheyu’s dark, ink, like eyes fixed on Yun Pianpian’s face, a gentle smile playing on his lips. “All things flourish to their peak and then decline, and the beauty before the decline is the most magnificent beauty.”
Yun Pianpian paused, taking in his words, but after thinking it over carefully, she lifted her clear, sparkling eyes to meet Jiang Sheyu’s gaze.
“No, we’re both wrong.”
This time, it was Jiang Sheyu’s turn to be stunned.
He composed his expression and looked at her with a smile.
“What did we get wrong?”
Yun Pianpian said earnestly, “Fireworks aren’t at their most beautiful when they bloom, nor are they most beautiful just before they fall. They are at their most beautiful against the darkness of the night. If fireworks were set off during the day, we wouldn’t be able to see them at all.”
Just as the young woman spoke these words, a burst of fireworks bloomed in the night sky. The dazzling flames reflected in her clear, sparkling eyes, making them appear especially captivating.
Jiang Sheyu was momentarily dazed. He had originally intended to spoil her mood by deliberately speaking discouraging words, hoping to crush her cheerful spirit.
Unexpectedly, not only was she not disheartened, but she had become even more radiant and brilliant.
As Jiang Sheyu looked into her eyes, which mirrored the brilliant fireworks, and saw her blooming so independently, his heart began to beat uncontrollably.
Thump, thump.
He awkwardly turned his handsome face away.
Yun Pianpian didn’t notice the strangeness in Jiang Sheyu’s expression. Seeing that he remained silent, she proactively asked, “Do you think I’m right?”
Jiang Sheyu didn’t dare to meet her eyes.
“Madam speaks wisely.”
Satisfied with his answer, Yun Pianpian looked up again to watch the fireworks. As the sparks faded, she turned back and noticed Jiang Sheyu watching her.
His dark, ink-like eyes held a complex expression, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Yun Pianpian asked, “What did you want to say?”
Jiang Sheyu’s gaze grew shadowy. “Tell me, are there any flowers in this world that never wither?”
Yun Pianpian thought for a moment. “No.”
Although periwinkles can bloom for over three hundred days, they still eventually fade.
Jiang Sheyu watched Yun Pianpian intently, waiting for her next words.
Yun Pianpian’s eyes sparkled as she said, “Although there are no flowers in this world that never wither, there are trees that live forever.”
“Trees that live forever?”
Jiang Sheyu’s gaze grew somewhat distant.
He had always thought of Yun Pianpian as a flower, but at this moment, Jiang Sheyu realized that Yun Pianpian was not a flower, she was an immortal tree.
She would never wither.
Two years ago, after Yun Pianpian left Jiangjia Village with Xiao Changyuan, Jiang Sheyu had been waiting for this day to come. He wanted to personally destroy her radiance, but only now did he realize that he could never truly destroy her.
Because she was a tree, a tree that even violent storms cannot blow down.
He gazed intently at Yun Pianpian. For the past two years, he had been thinking of her constantly, her radiant figure appearing in his dreams and before his eyes. That fervent desire to destroy had long transformed into an even more intense emotion, surging within his chest. That emotion was called longing, called obsession, but he did not yet know it.
In that moment, Jiang Sheyu fell in love with her.
He loved her eternal bloom, because of a firework display, because of a tree.
Perhaps even further back, three years ago he had already fallen in love with her.
That night, the moon was bright and clear, the pond rippled with splashes, and the clear waves shimmered. He was fishing in the mountain forest when he overheard Yun Pianpian and Xiao Changyuan by the pond. She was under the influence of an aphrodisiac but feigned fierceness, warning Xiao Changyuan not to lay a hand on her. Yet in the end, she melted into a pool of spring water, engulfing Xiao Changyuan and engulfing him as well.
Jiang Sheyu had always believed that the emotion surging in his chest that day, as he hid in the shadows eavesdropping on their conversation, was a desire to destroy.
Only at this moment did he realize that feeling was actually jealousy.
He was jealous of Xiao Changyuan.
Because Xiao Changyuan possessed her radiance, but he did not.
No one had come to illuminate his darkness.
Yun Pianpian said, “If you think flowers wither too easily, then you should grow trees. I once heard of a tree called the dragon's blood tree, it can live for over ten thousand years. But such a tree must be hard to find. If you can't find it, it's alright. You can plant a ginkgo tree instead. The leaves of the ginkgo tree are beautiful. When autumn arrives, the yellow fallen leaves cover the courtyard like golden sunlight falling to the ground. Its lifespan is also very long, it can live for over three thousand years.”
Yun Pianpian thought Jiang Sheyu was pitying the fleeting nature of falling flowers and wanted to encourage him to grow trees. She never expected this young master to be so sentimental and tender, hearted.
Jiang Sheyu asked, “Do you like ginkgo trees?”
“I do.”
“Then let's go plant ginkgo trees tomorrow.”
Yun Pianpian replied, “Alright.”
After agreeing, Yun Pianpian began to regret it. Just because she liked ginkgo trees didn’t mean Xiaohua did. What if Jiang Sheyu noticed she was different from Xiaohua?
Cautiously, she glanced at Jiang Sheyu's face. Seeing his gentle expression, he didn’t seem to have noticed anything unusual about her. Only then did Yun Pianpian breathe a sigh of relief.
Does this guy actually love Xiaohua or not?
She's so obviously out of character.
How come he hasn't noticed it at all?
Yun Pianpian felt utterly exhausted.
As night deepened, Yun Pianpian finished washing up and lay down on the bed, about to sleep.
Jiang Sheyu pushed the door open and entered, calmly starting to remove his outer robe.
Yun Pianpian watched him nervously.
“What, what are you doing?”
“Sleeping.”
“Sleeping here?”
Jiang Sheyu's gaze was gentle as he said, “We are husband and wife, so naturally we should share the same bed.”
It took Yun Pianpian a moment to find her voice again. “But I've lost my memory.”
“So what?”
Yun Pianpian said, “Although I am your wife in your eyes, to me, you are a stranger. I cannot share a bed with you.”
Jiang Sheyu looked at her for a while. He didn't want to force her. “Alright.”
Jiang Sheyu took the bedding and went to the study.
After he left, Yun Pianpian breathed a sigh of relief.
The next day, Jiang Sheyu woke up in the study. Rui'er attended to his washing, and just as she was about to serve breakfast, the guard came to report: “Lord Mu requests an audience.”
Jiang Sheyu frowned slightly. Coming to bother him so early in the morning was truly unwelcome. He instructed Rui'er, “Keep an eye on Madam. Make sure she doesn't go to the front hall.”
Rui'er replied, “Yes, Young Master.”
Lord Mu was none other than Xie Yu. In Jiangjia Village, Xie Yu went by the alias Mu Yu. Two years ago, he had been appointed by Xiao Changyuan as a ninth rank official. After two years of hard work, he had been promoted to the eighth rank position.
Xie Yu was eloquent and articulate. After arriving in the capital, he quickly befriended the idle sons of noble families, fitting into Luojing like a fish in water. He often indulged in lavish entertainment and frequently visited Jiang Sheyu to catch up.
Xie Yu was dressed in a stone, green casual robe, handsome and dashing in appearance. Behind him stood the expressionless Mu Bai, the two were inseparable, even when visiting pleasure houses together.
Jiang Sheyu smiled as usual and asked, “Brother Mu, what brings you here today?”
Xie Yu laughed. “I've invited you to Yixiang Tower several times, but you never come. Could it be that you're hiding a beauty in your golden chamber at home.”
A flicker passed through Jiang Sheyu's eyes, but the smile on his face remained unchanged. “How could that be?”
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Xie Yu took a seat and sipped his tea, lowering his voice. “Do you know what happened in the palace last night?”
Jiang Sheyu asked, “What happened?”
Xie Yu said, “The Emperor was assassinated. The military is now arresting people everywhere.”
Jiang Sheyu feigned surprise. “How is His Majesty's condition? Is he seriously injured?”
Xie Yu replied, “I don't know about that. And it's said that the Empress was stolen. I really don't know who had the audacity to steal the Emperor's most treasured possession.”
Jiang Sheyu: “...”
It was none other than your humble servant.
Xie Yu had come to reconnect with Jiang Sheyu and, incidentally, shared some unremarkable news: “I saw Zhou Shan this morning. He's so thin he's nothing but bones, and he's still searching all over the city for Jiang Cuicui. Who knows where Jiang Cuicui has run off to.”
Jiang Sheyu: “...”
She is currently in the residence of your humble servant.
After sending Xie Yu away, Jiang Sheyu heard about the citywide arrests and felt a growing sense of malice. Returning to the rear courtyard, he saw the flowers blooming vibrantly along the corridor, and a desire to destroy surged within him. He reached out with his pale, slender fingers and crushed the petals.
The flower juice stained his hands and his inner turmoil slowly subsided.
Jiang Sheyu turned around and noticed Yun Pianpian standing under the eaves, staring intently at him.
His heart skipped a beat, the smile at the corner of his lips vanished instantly.
“You saw everything.”
Yun Pianpian nodded gently.
Jiang Sheyu's jaw tightened. “Do you think I'm cruel?”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because I crushed those flowers.”
Yun Pianpian looked at him calmly. “I don't think you're a cruel person. On the contrary, it seems like you cherish these flowers and plants.”
Jiang Sheyu was taken aback.
“Why?”
Yun Pianpian explained, “The flowers you just crushed were touch-me-nots. Their petals yield vibrant juice, which I often use to dye my nails. I've never considered that cruel, yet you do. I've noticed for a while now that you seem to hold a special affection for these flowers.”
In Yun Pianpian's eyes, Jiang Sheyu was a sentimental gentleman who treasured blossoms, but Jiang Sheyu knew who he truly was.
Only he knew, and now, he wanted Yun Pianpian to know as well, he wished to expose every dark corner of his soul to her. “I haven't told you about my childhood, have I?”
Yun Pianpian paused. “No.”
Jiang Sheyu smiled faintly. “I was born into a noble family. My father had many wives, and my birth mother, being of low status, was killed shortly after giving birth to me. No one cared about her death or even remembered who she was.
Later, I was adopted by another favored wife who abused me, using me as a tool to compete for favor. She would often pinch me until I cried, then use that to lure my father away from other wives' courtyards. She thought I wouldn't remember my early years, but I recall it all too clearly, the image of her digging her nails into me while I was still in swaddling clothes.
When I was five, she pushed me into a winter lake and framed another wife, forcing me to falsely accuse an innocent woman. If I refused, she would whip me with a special leather lash that left no marks but could knock me unconscious from the pain. I accused that woman. At five years old, while other children were eating sweets, I was harming others. I had no choice but to become her pawn, committing countless heinous acts.”
Jiang Sheyu was the fifth prince of the Northern Yong Kingdom. His birth mother was a palace maid, and his adoptive mother was a noble consort. To vie for favor, the consort used him as a tool, leading to the deaths of many. Though he obeyed, she never spared him, often whipping him with that lash. If he dared resist, she would tie him up with it and hold him underwater in a bathtub, making him experience the suffocating helplessness of being immobilized.
The imperial consort was exceedingly beautiful, the most stunning woman in the Northern Yong Kingdom, yet she was also insatiably greedy, desiring to monopolize all of the Northern Yong monarch's favor.
Jiang Sheyu suffered greatly under the hands of this twisted mother of his. He dared not resist, for he too bore the weight of lives on his conscience. He grew increasingly somber, yet on the surface, he remained ever obedient.
He had to keep smiling, the imperial consort loved to see him smile. If his smile wasn't pleasing enough, she would mercilessly shove him into the bathtub, pin him down, and in a frenzy, pinch, bite, and strike him.
Later, the imperial consort truly went mad because she fell out of favor.
After losing the monarch's favor, she grew haggard.
Jiang Sheyu watched as this woman, beautiful as a peony in full bloom, withered bit by bit, and he found himself drawn to this shattered, broken feeling.
Because he knew that once the flower withered, he would no longer be beaten.
Later, Jiang Sheyu fled the imperial palace and, through a twist of fate, settled in Jiangjia Village. No one knew he was the fifth prince of the Northern Yong Kingdom.
But now, he wanted to tear open his wounds, bloody and raw, and show them to Yun Pianpian.
Even he himself didn't know what exactly he was hoping for.
Yun Pianpian gazed at Jiang Sheyu with a look of pity. “Did it hurt a lot?”
In that moment, Jiang Sheyu finally understood what he had been hoping for.
He was hoping for her pity.
Jiang Sheyu gently curved his red lips.
“It doesn't hurt anymore.”
“That's good.”
Sunlight fell upon the girl's cheeks, clinging to her hair, making her seem to glow all over. Especially those clear, bright eyes, they seemed capable of illuminating his dark past and present.
Even illuminating the rest of his life.
Jiang Sheyu's throat moved slightly, his gaze gradually deepening. He slowly leaned closer to Yun Pianpian, wanting to kiss those compassionate eyes of hers but Yun Pianpian turned aside, evading him.
Jiang Sheyu felt a pang of disappointment.
“Why did you avoid me?”
Yun Pianpian lowered her head and said, “I've lost my memory. I'm sorry, but to me now, you're just a stranger.”
Jiang Sheyu replied indifferently, “It's fine. We can start over. I have plenty of patience, and there's still a long time ahead.”
Yun Pianpian thought he was truly gentle.
“Alright, then.”
Jiang Sheyu coaxed softly, “You used to call me 'husband.' Let's start from there.”
Yun Pianpian looked at him for a long moment. Finally, she called out to him in a small voice.
“Husband.”
Suddenly, the sky darkened with thick clouds.
From behind came a cold, gloomy voice.
“What did you call him?”