If you don't want to be controlled by others, you must first suppress them. This is what they taught him in his past life, and he has learned it.
"Seeing Yuan'er doing so well now, I, as her father, am at ease," Jiang Zhongsi said, gently stirring the tea leaves with the lid of his teapot.
“Chengyu is young, and I spend most of the year on the battlefield, so I rarely help her. Ayuan has been pampered since childhood, and she has suffered a lot these past few years with me.” Song Yanji didn’t mind telling him these things.
Jiang Zhongsi paused slightly, then said after a moment, "My dear son-in-law has many external affairs to attend to, it's good that you can remember these things."
“I have been married to A Yuan since childhood, and I naturally cherish her kindness. Cheng Yu is my only son, so I have no other requests in this matter.” Song Yansi lowered his eyes slightly, gently sipped his tea, and the water rippled in a beautiful arc. “However, I have never let external affairs affect my domestic affairs. Since I married her, I truly want to grow old with her.”
Jiang Zhongsi's hands continued moving, and he seemed momentarily lost in thought before picking up his cup to drink tea and smiling, "I certainly trust my son-in-law."
"Please rest assured about my brother-in-law's affairs, Father-in-law." Song Yansi had fought with him for so long back then, and he understood his thoughts quite well. "Ruoyuan greatly admires him, and he has entrusted many things in Qi'an to my brother-in-law with peace of mind."
Jiang Zhongsi tightened his grip, squinted, and drank the tea in one gulp. The moment he put the cup down, his heart returned to calm. "Thank you for your trouble, son-in-law."
"I wouldn't dare," Song Yansi replied with a smile. Ever since he recovered from the poisoning in Longdi, he had been putting more pressure on Jiang Li. He was of mediocre talent, but as Jiang Yuan said, his brother was an extremely good man.
"It is difficult to conceal the truth from the eyes of the world by the hand of one person." Even the most foolish person can see the situation clearly when they are not involved. It was that mediocre man who knelt before him and took all the blame. "My father was also confused. One wrong step led to another. I only hope that His Majesty will leave the Jiang family with some dignity afterward."
In this life, there is still room for maneuver between him and Jiang Zhongsi. His daughter is still his wife, and his son is now firmly in his grasp. He can choose to compromise and not delve into many things for A Yuan's sake.
As long as he stops pushing too hard.
As the rain drizzled down, Song Yansi and Jiang Yuan stayed at the Jiang residence for lunch. The table was laden with dishes that Jiang Yuan loved, including pine nut sliced duck, rouge-colored dried meat, jade cabbage rolls, and sour bamboo shoot and chicken skin soup.
Jiang Yuan casually inquired about some family matters and learned that Jiang Zhi had already married the year Jiang Yuan went to Chaisang.
"The youngest son of Prefect Feng of Lingcheng next door," Madam Jiang said, placing some food on her plate. "If she wants to marry the eldest son, she can only marry a lower-ranking one."
"Second sister is willing?" She remembered that in her previous life, she had been picky and choosy, and was only married off to a distant place by her father in a fit of anger when she was nearly twenty.
“What could she possibly be unwilling to do?” Madam Jiang didn’t want to talk about her, so she picked out Jiang Yuan’s favorite food and said, “Eat more.”
Although Jiang Yuan was somewhat suspicious, she quickly realized that so many things had changed, and it wasn't impossible for Jiang Zhi's life to change as well. She put her doubts aside and ate heartily with her eyes half-closed. Her good mood infected Song Chengyu, and the little guy happily ate half a small golden thread roll along with her, much to Madam Jiang's delight as she kept calling out "Yu'er, Yu'er!"
In the end, the little guy huddled in Madam Jiang's arms and refused to leave. Jiang Yuan tried to persuade him for a long time, but to no avail. Finally, Song Yanji couldn't bear to watch any longer.
"Then let's leave him here." He reached out and took Jiang Yuan's hand, coldly looking down at the tiny figure who wasn't even as long as his legs. "Let's go home."
Song Chengyu watched helplessly as Jiang Yuan was led away by Song Yansi. Jiang Yuan looked at the small figure, turning back every few steps, saying, "Yu'er is still young."
Yes, what can a two-year-old understand?
“But he is my son.” Song Yansi said this calmly while holding up his umbrella. He knew in his heart that A Yuan also knew that he was his only son, and that the whole world might be handed over to him in the future.
Sure enough, after he finished speaking, Jiang Yuan stopped talking. The oil-paper umbrella was placed on her head, and the drizzle fell, wetting half of Song Yansi's clothes. Jiang Yuan lowered her eyes, reached out and took his arm, and moved closer to him.
Song Chengyu's timid cries drifted from afar, repeatedly calling for his mother. Jiang Yuan, holding back tears, dared not stop. Every step Song Yansi took was difficult; he wouldn't allow his son to be so willful, even though he was still just a child.
Jiang Yuan sometimes wondered, did he really have to have the whole world? If he could just hide his brilliance, he and she could live peacefully until old age. What joy was there in that high position and the lonely situation? But Song Yanji seemed to be bewitched, and all he wanted in his life was to be above all others.
Song Yan stopped walking and looked at Jiang Yuan's slightly red eyes with a pang of heartache. This child she had longed for for so many years—if they were an ordinary couple, and the child had a little temper and cried, Jiang Yuan, being such a soft-hearted person, would definitely have held him in her arms and comforted him. But now, she could only do this, silently feeling heartache, not daring to argue with him about the child.
After twenty years of marriage, his wife, A-Yuan, has become so patient, for her own sake and for the future of their child.
“Go,” Song Yansi said. “We can’t really leave him behind.”
Jiang Yuan's eyes gradually brightened, and she finally nodded. She quickly walked towards the direction of the crying, taking large steps. The sky was still overcast, and the rain was like a veil, falling on her face as if she were bathing in a thin mist in the forest.
Song Yansi watched as Zhu Chuan, holding an umbrella, followed that familiar figure and disappeared around the corner. The courtyard, washed by the rain, seemed quieter than usual, and even with several maids and servants by his side, he still felt somewhat lonely.
Having been given a second chance at life, he longed to live a peaceful and stable life with her, but alas, he still had no choice in this life.
Chapter 52 Pine Trees and Flowers
Although Song Yanji had relinquished his military power and held a nominal position in Lin'an, his spies remained ubiquitous. During the years he had been stationed on the frontier, the people of Lin'an had not been idle either. He looked at the booklet in his hand and clicked his tongue in amazement.
When Xu An returned, Zhuque and Guangxuan naturally relinquished their power. Following Song Yanji's orders, he secretly purged a group of defectors. He was ruthless and decisive, never letting small things cause big losses – a consistent style of Song Yanji.
"Something is indeed missing." Song Yansi never expected that person to go this far. "He's truly cunning and shrewd."
“People are…” Xu An made a throat-slitting gesture, “Master, what’s our next step?”
"Go to Pinghu." Song Yansi pushed open the wall, put the things in the compartment, and with his back to Xu An, his expression could not be seen in the candlelight. "I want to give Ge Zhentang a big gift."
This great gift was something he had painstakingly discovered after he became emperor in his previous life. Now, he was giving it to Ge Zhentang as a favor in advance, saving him a lot of time in the future to get to know him.
Pinghu, the granary of Nanliang, is a land overflowing with silver. With so much gold and silver, it's inevitable that some people will be tempted. Reaching out means committing a crime, and with a crime, a scapegoat will be found. In his past life, Ge Zhentang almost suffered a terrible fate because of this. He had merely helped him out, yet the man was already deeply grateful. Now, he was personally pointing out this lurking rat to him.
When Song Yansi returned to the room, Cheng Yu had just taken a bath and was snuggling happily in Jiang Yuan's arms. When she saw Song Yansi, she hesitated for a moment before cautiously approaching him, saying, "Daddy."
Song Yansi watched as the hesitant Cheng Yu reached out, and the little man was suddenly lifted high into the air before being caught in his arms.
"Giggle." Laughter filled the room. The boy loved playing these games since he was little. After a few rounds, he forgot about the other day when someone wanted to leave him at his grandmother's house.
After he had finished making a fuss, Zhu Chuan carried him out to sleep. He kissed Jiang Yuan's cheek reluctantly, saying, "Yu'er will come to see Mother again tomorrow."
"Good boy." Jiang Yuan rubbed his little nose and gave him a kiss on the forehead.
Then, watching the little boy smiling and covering his face as Zhu Chuan carried him out.
"Stop looking, we're together all the time, aren't you tired of looking at each other?" Song Yansi hooked Jiang Yuan's chin and turned her face towards him. "You should look at me once in a while too."
"I'm looking at you right now." Jiang Yuan, surprisingly good at acting cute, cupped her face and looked at Song Yansi. "Go ahead and say it."
Say something? Can't I let her see him if I don't speak?
He wrapped his arms around Jiang Yuan's waist and pulled her into his embrace. He pressed himself against her tightly and could feel the softness of her chest. He deliberately bumped into Jiang Yuan's body.
Jiang Yuan's face flushed bright red, from her cheeks to her earlobes. Even though she was a mother, she still looked shy and charming when he touched her.
They were busy traveling a few days ago, and after returning, they were troubled by a series of events, and now…
Once aroused, a person becomes somewhat out of control. It was the same in his past life. As long as she reddened her eyes and looked at him sweetly, he couldn't help but want to hold her in his arms, as if he were bewitched. Even when he later hated her so much that he wanted to strangle her, his body would still instinctively move closer to her.
And now, she is still his wife; their relationship hasn't reached the point of life and death. Song Yanji lovingly embraced her, lowered his head to kiss her lips, then pried open her teeth and thrust deep inside. He quickly picked her up and carried her to the bed.
Jiang Yuan was held and sat on his lap, passionately kissing him. He put one arm around her shoulder and used the other to untie the sash around her waist. Her clothes slipped off one by one, large pieces of silk and satin falling onto his lap. Her snow-white skin shone softly in the candlelight.
Song Yanji kissed her neck, his hands unconsciously kneading her soft breasts. Suddenly, Jiang Yuan's body sank, and he flipped her over, pinning her to the bed. Then came a flurry of kisses, his hands sliding down her body until they stopped between her legs.
His lips curled slightly, and his kiss abruptly stopped. In Jiang Yuan's dazed gaze, he suddenly forced himself inside her. He used a little force, and Jiang Yuan let out a soft moan, her voice so tender it seemed to drip with moisture.
Jiang Yuan seemed startled by her own voice, hurriedly covering her lips with her hand, her eyes wide open, filled with his image. Song Yansi did not stop, his lips kissing the back of her hand, his breath slightly rapid but filled with a deep smile, "A-Yuan's voice is so beautiful."
The night was long, the mandarin ducks were untied, and before their lips moved, the fragrance of lip rouge could be smelled. All night long, the sound of water could be heard constantly in Yue Garden.
As dawn broke, before the two of them had even gotten up, there was a knocking sound at the door, and Xu An's urgent voice rang out from outside, "Master, something has happened."
Jiang Yuan was still a little dazed, but upon hearing this, she instantly woke up. She was completely naked, only clutching the blanket to cover her chest, and looked at Song Yansi in a flustered manner, "What's wrong?"
"It's alright." He gently kissed her eyelids and patted her head reassuringly. "With me here, what could possibly happen?"
After saying this, he got up and dressed by himself without calling Zhu Chuan and Bi Fan. Jiang Yuan quickly pulled a long robe over his body and then helped him straighten his clothes. The moment the white jade hung on his belt, Jiang Yuan tugged at his sleeve, struggled for a moment, and then bit her lip and said, "If you really encounter anything, tell me. Maybe I can help you."
She lived an extra lifetime and knew many things he didn't; perhaps, she might actually have some useful knowledge.
"Okay." Song Yansi hugged her, kissed her for a while, and then hurriedly left the house.
The moment the door closed, Jiang Yuan frantically searched her memory. Something had happened! What had happened? No, she had no memory of it! Jiang Yuan bit her lip, her brows furrowed. According to the course of her previous life, Song Yanji should still be in Shuobei, building up his merits at this time.
"What's wrong?" In the study, Song Yansi looked at Xu An, who had a worried expression on his face. He rarely showed such an expression.
"Lord Zhang is in trouble!"
“Zhang Sizhi?” He’s such a cautious person, what could possibly happen to him? Song Yansi sat in the armchair, his fingertips tapping the armrest. “He’s sure to handle things without any problems.”
"That's the key point!" Xu An said urgently, "Last night, the entire Sizhi family was massacred."
In Lin'an, the capital city, right under the emperor's nose, the entire household of a high-ranking official was murdered. This was no small matter!
Song Yansi narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice sounding unhurried, but a hint of fierceness lingered in his eyes, "Your household has taken our things?"
"I don't know, it wasn't one of our people who went." Xu An hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Even though we did a clean job, it's hard to guarantee that Zhang Mingliang won't leave any clues."
"They've moved really fast. I've only been in Lin'an for a short while, and they've already pulled this stunt on me." Song Yansi gestured to Xu An to calm down. "Such a big move obviously means they haven't found any dirt on us. But Zhang Mingliang's death is another matter. Evidence can be fabricated, so they might even pin Zhang Sizhi's death on us as well."
"What should we do then? We can't just sit here and wait to die."
"No rush." Song Yansi leaned back in his chair. Even if they investigated, they wouldn't be able to find him in a short time. Even if they did, he sneered and then said, "You don't need to put too much effort into the Lin'an matter. Have Zhuque keep a close eye on Pinghu."
Plain white silk paper was laid on the table. Zhang Sizhi's murder, though unexpected, was also reasonable. Song Yanji picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and the brushstrokes landed on the paper, vigorous and unrestrained.
Kindness is like a pine tree, evil is like a flower; the flower laughs at the pine tree for not being as good as it; but one day, when the severe frost falls, only the pine tree will be seen, and the flower will be gone.
He murmured the words aloud, then finally put down his brush, his expression unreadable.
Zhang Sizhi's death indeed caused a great uproar in Lin'an City. The emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. In no time, all sorts of rumors spread throughout the streets and alleys. Somehow, the little affair between Zhang Sizhi and Song Yanji was also spread, and even the people of Lin'an City began to have some opinions about Song Yanji.
Jiang Yuan had heard quite a bit about this, and even Madam Jiang had sent her a letter. However, Song Yansi seemed unconcerned, appearing nonchalant all day long, and instead spending a lot of time playing with Cheng Yu. Although Jiang Yuan was curious, seeing that he was in a good mood recently, she knew that he probably had a solution, and her anxiety lessened considerably.
"Hahaha, Marquis Anguo is really having a run of bad luck." Xie Jiayan smiled as she listened to the news brought by Baoyun, picked up the lip rouge sent by Yanzhizhai, and gently applied it to her lips. "How is this color?"
"Excellent." Baoyun squatted down to massage her legs. "Miss is beautiful, and she looks gorgeous no matter what lipstick she wears."
"Jinxiu, look at Baoyun's little mouth, it's as sweet as honey." Xie Jiayan looked at the mirror for a moment before covering his mouth and laughing.
“Baoyun is telling the truth,” Jinxiu said, standing behind her.
"How is the Marquis of Anguo doing now?"
“It seems to be unaffected,” Jin Xiu whispered. “I heard that the Lady of the Marquis received an invitation from Madam He this morning, saying that she would be going to her residence for tea early tomorrow morning.”
"The He family? Which He family?" Xie Jiayan waved his sleeve, and Baoyun got up and left.
"It's He Baozhen, the one who's been trying to curry favor with you, Miss. She's family."
“He Baozhen.” Xie Jiayan’s eyes flickered slightly. She rested her chin on her hand and said, “That ugly girl has been sending me invitations all along. Go and reply to her, and tell her that I’m free tomorrow.”
"Are you trying to intimidate the Lady of the Marquis?"
"I don't even know her, why are you trying to intimidate me?" Xie Jiayan glanced coldly at Jin Xiu.
Bao Yun glanced at Jin Xiu, who seemed somewhat at a loss, and quickly added, "Miss is absolutely right. I'll go and inform Miss He right away."
"Do you think the He family invited me or her?" Xie Jiayan said casually, adjusting his wide sleeves. "Or perhaps I'll get to meet the legendary Lady of the Marquis."
Chapter 53 First Encounter
“Your Majesty has acted far too hastily.” Xie Jiali stood beside the desk. “Your message was only delivered a few days ago, and he has already taken action.”