Chapter 87

“Would you like to give it a try?” Yan Yiming asked.
In this emotional entanglement, aside from Jian Yuyan, she was the one who understood the truth best. By concealing details that might expose herself, she effortlessly touched upon the secrets hidden deep within Jian Yuyan's heart, secrets even he was unwilling to acknowledge.
Yet, even after having the veil of his shame torn away by Yan Yiming, Jian Yuyan still clung to a sliver of conviction.
He was certain he still loved A'Ming.
He didn't dare to seek her out, nor could he. But in the depths of midnight dreams, he would still recall the figure that once lingered by his side and her gentle, melodious voice.
He missed her terribly.
Every single day.
Jian Yuyan admitted that the words of the woman before him left him unable to resist wavering.
Although Jian Yuyan had a weak disposition, he was not foolish. Even though Princess Ming's words were highly appealing to him, upon deeper reflection, he found many points of doubt.
Even though he had deliberately distanced himself from his father's schemes, as the Chancellor had said, his identity from the very beginning destined him to remain uninvolved.
Thus, he still knew what the Chancellor had done in recent years, what he was planning, and what agreements had been made between the Chancellor and the Prince of Jiangxia, who was far away in Liangguang.
The Chancellor and the Prince of Jiangxia had long reached a collaboration. However, judging by Princess Ming's words, which consistently aimed to restrain the Chancellor, it seemed things were not as simple as they appeared on the surface.
Yet this was not unexpected. The Prince of Jiangxia, with his noble status and countless troops, was someone even the Emperor had to tolerate. How could he be willing to remain under the Chancellor's control?
Thinking it over now, compared to the Chancellor, the Prince of Jiangxia had sent envoys to negotiate with the Chancellor while using Princess Ming to drive a wedge between him and his father, a dual approach that clearly demonstrated superior tactics.
Once everything was sorted out, Jian Yuyan regained his composure. His peach-blossom eyes fell calmly upon the woman sitting comfortably beside him as he said indifferently, “After all, the Chancellor and I share twenty years of father-son affection. Aren't you afraid, Princess, that I will reveal everything to him now that you've laid it all out?”
“Why deceive me with such words, Young Master?” Yan Yiming chuckled lightly. “In others' eyes, you may share over twenty years of father-son affection, but you know better than anyone what the true relationship between you and the Chancellor is like. In the Chancellor's eyes, nothing matters except his plan to restore the former dynasty. If you don't trust me, feel free to tell the Chancellor everything that happened today. However, given that you once refused to marry the daughter of the Marquis of Dingbei for that girl and repeatedly defied him, the Chancellor would never allow you to bring her back, let alone keep her by your side.”
Yan Yiming raised her eyes and smiled gracefully. “But I can.”
Jian Yuyan did not doubt this statement. Although the Chancellor had been scheming for years and was eighty percent prepared, the Prince of Jiangxia held no military power, this was their true reliance.
Making a decision was always the hardest part for Jian Yuyan. Yan Yiming, well aware of his temperament, did not rush him. Instead, she leisurely sat to the side, admiring the beauty of Silver Lake.
It was only after a long while that Jian Yuyan spoke again, “And what happens after the matter is accomplished? How will you deal with the Jian family?”
“If we truly succeed, the Jian family will be the founding heroes of the new dynasty. What authority would we have to deal with them? After all, you still bear the surname Jian.” Jian Yuyan despised the Chancellor but still held affection for Madam Jian and others. Yan Yiming was not surprised by this. She turned to look at Jian Yuyan, her gaze sincere.
“You overestimate our ambitions, Young Master. All my father wants is for you to remember the contributions of the Ming family after the matter is accomplished, so that our efforts won't be in vain and we won't have labored only to pave the way for others. As for me, I simply want you to understand that what we aim to restore is the former imperial family, the Yu clan, not the Jian family. That is all.”
Was it truly so selfless?
Jian Yuyan chuckled softly. He did not believe it. The Chancellor was no good-natured man, and the Prince of Jiangxia was even less so. However, Princess Ming's promise to help him find A'Ming and ensure her safety had indeed struck a chord with him.
Back then, with the Chancellor's control, he had found it difficult to resist. But now, with the Prince of Jiangxia's restraint, neither could be trusted, yet both could be used.
After all, his only goal was A'Ming; the ambition to restore the kingdom had long been discarded after A'Ming left.
In the end, he reached some sort of agreement with the woman before him. Yan Yiming's eyes were filled with a smile, and as the boat docked, she emphasized once more, “From today onward, I will send people to search for that young lady’s whereabouts. If there is anything you need, young master, do not hesitate to ask.”
Jian Yuyan stood at the bow of the boat and personally saw Yan Yiming off. “Then I shall not refuse your kindness.”
Little A, floating in the air, asked Yan Yiming in surprise, “So you’ve reached an agreement just like that?”
Is Jian Yuyan now on their side?
But wasn’t the goal to persuade him to defect and ultimately overturn Chancellor Jian’s plans? Now, it seems Jian Yuyan has become even more resolute than before?
Yan Yiming chuckled. “It’s just a verbal agreement. Jian Yuyan may be soft-hearted, but he’s no fool. Who knows what he’s scheming now? However, our plan today was only to make him aware that he has options, to give him the ability to protect himself and ensure his survival. The rest is unimportant.”
“But what if he truly becomes determined to restore the kingdom?” Little A panicked a little. “Even if his life is saved, if Nan Gongxuan can’t ascend the throne, it’s still no good.”
“Isn’t A'Ming still here?” Yan Yiming clicked her tongue. “A'Ming isn’t dead, right? We can leave the task of persuading him to her.”
Little A quickly shook its head. “A character who’s already been written off can never be revived. Even I can’t do anything about that.”
“Don’t worry,” Yan Yiming said helplessly. “Using another identity to stir up trouble doesn’t necessarily require showing up in person.”
If Jian Yuyan were completely under her control, it would be an insult to his status as one of the four main male leads. Yan Yiming was certain that Jian Yuyan had other plans in mind. No matter what, though, he would never guess that she was the A'Ming from back then.
Even if Jian Yuyan wanted to play both sides and reap the benefits, this particular fish was not as simple as he thought.
Little A nodded, only half-understanding. After a long while, it suddenly remembered the momentary glitch earlier that day and reminded Yan Yiming, “Today, the system detected some unusual activity on Jiang Yi’s side. Host, you should still be cautious.”
Yan Yiming looked up. “Unusual activity? What do you mean?”
“It means it suddenly went beyond our control,” Little A said, somewhat troubled. “Jiang Yi’s intelligence setting is too high. Now, with a small bug, there’s nothing we can do.”
It didn’t know exactly what had happened to Jiang Yi either, so it could only remind Yan Yiming to be extra vigilant.
Yan Yiming couldn’t figure it out either, but if Jiang Yi’s unusual activity could affect her return home, it had to be taken seriously.
Returning to the residence, Yan Yiming intended to find Wei Xiongjie and ask him to inquire about Jiang Yi’s whereabouts that day. Before she could speak, however, Wei Xiongjie proactively told her that he had just returned from the Jiang residence.
Yan Yiming's heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her composure and said, “I should have visited Lord Jiang long ago. What did you all talk about?”
“Just some trivial matters,” Wei Xiongjie replied, recalling his conversation with Jiang Yi earlier that day. Finding nothing sensitive in their discussion, he recounted everything they had spoken about. “Lord Jiang and the Princess share a preference for Biluochun tea. When Lord Jiang heard this, he was quite interested and said he would bring gifts to visit the Princess in a few days, and also come to the residence for a cup of tea.”
Yan Yiming felt slightly uneasy. “And what else?”
“As for the rest,” Wei Xiongjie thought for a moment before remembering that Jiang Yi had asked about Yan Yiming's taste preferences. The matter was so minor that he hadn’t mentioned it earlier, but since the Princess was now inquiring, he disclosed everything without holding back.
Yan Yiming took a deep breath, suppressing the frustration of being dragged down by an incompetent ally, and with a smile, she saw Wei Xiongjie out.
A single red mole meant nothing. Sharing a preference for Biluochun tea was also insignificant. Even having similar tastes could simply be a coincidence. If all of this had been discovered unintentionally, it wouldn’t be a problem.
But from Wei Xiongjie’s account, it was clear that Jiang Yi had deliberately guided the conversation to ask these questions. Why did Jiang Yi want to know her taste preferences? What was he trying to confirm?
These were trivial details, not worth noticing, yet Jiang Yi had noticed them. And this was Jiang Yi.
Back when they were together, they had spent four long years eating and playing together every day, enough time for Jiang Yi to memorize all her preferences.
The most troublesome part was that Yan Yiming hadn’t realized back then that after completing the “strategy,” she would still need to advance the plot. She had thought that once the old identity was used up, it could be discarded. But now, it was causing some trouble.
Yan Yiming let out a long sigh, leaning back on the soft couch as she furrowed her brows in thought.
Since Jiang Yi had actively inquired about her tastes, it was clear he already had suspicions. He would undoubtedly use the tea invitation as an excuse to search for more evidence. Wei Xiongjie had revealed her taste preferences to Jiang Yi, and if Jiang Yi noticed that Princess Ming’s tastes closely resembled those of the former “A’Ming,” he might prepare all the foods A’Ming had once loved to test her.
When the time came, she would simply refuse to eat. If Jiang Yi asked, she could claim that Wei Xiongjie didn’t truly understand her preferences.
Such a far-fetched theory, relying solely on this kind of evidence, was hardly convincing.
With a plan in mind, Yan Yiming felt more at ease. A few days later, as expected, Jiang Yi invited her and Wei Xiongjie to a teahouse. Fearing that Wei Xiongjie might slip up, Yan Yiming sent him off on other tasks and went to the meeting alone.
Out of court attire and dressed in casual clothes, Jiang Yi appeared even more relaxed and handsome than usual. Compared to the young boy he once was, his demeanor was now exceptionally refined.
His elegant face betrayed no clues, and his voice was clear and pleasant. With slender fingers, he personally pulled out a chair for Yan Yiming.
Yan Yiming suddenly remembered that when Jiang Yi was still a youth, she had taught him some modern etiquette during her idle moments. Though Jiang Yi found it novel at the time, he obediently followed her instructions.
Yan Yiming feigned surprise and chuckled lightly. “Thank you for your trouble, Lord Jiang.”
For a fleeting moment, the smile on Jiang Yi’s lips seemed to falter, but it might have been an illusion. He continued to smile with the same grace as before.
Yan Yiming was extremely cautious with every word and action, afraid of accidentally revealing herself in front of Jiang Yi. With this heightened vigilance, she endured the tea session and finally waited as dish after dish of delicacies was served.
Her eyes immediately fell on something that made them sting.
Sure enough, every dish Jiang Yi had prepared today was a test. But contrary to her expectations, he hadn’t filled the table with her favorite flavors. Instead, he had chosen ingredients she had always disliked, refused to touch, and even felt like discarding at first sight.
Every single one of them!
During their four years together, Jiang Yi had remembered every dish she was picky about or disliked. Now, he had laid them all out before her, tormenting her eyes. Watching her put on a sincere expression, he gracefully washed a pair of chopsticks and handed them to her with a smile, saying,
“I’ve prepared this with great care, a token of my sincerity. I hope the Princess will enjoy it.”
“Please.”