WBSGVS Chapter 24 V2

Jiang Tingxue was in tears and wanted to shake her head to say she was innocent, but the Prince didn’t hit or scold her, which only made her heart ache more. In her sorrow, she suddenly recalled something she had overlooked:

That day, she had helped the drunken Zheng Yihan rest at the Prince of Yu’s manor. When she woke up in the middle of the night, she didn’t see her husband, but she had also been drinking and hadn’t thought much of it. The next day, when she asked, Zheng Yihan said he woke up in the middle of the night and checked after hearing some noise, but when he saw everything was fine, he returned.

Moreover, after returning that day, he had been less patient with her, and his gaze held a hint of blame.

All these signs had been enough to explain everything.

Jiang Tingxue wiped her tears and stumbled as she turned and walked outside step by step.

She had only wanted to verify whether the Prince of Yu was guilty of treason, but seeing the way he had resigned himself made it clear; there was no need to ask—treason was definite.

Jiang Tingxue couldn’t understand why he would commit treason. Wasn’t it good to be a prince?

But at this point, her thoughts didn’t matter.

As she left the manor, the soldiers didn’t stop her. However, the young man who had let her in was no longer there. A maid cautiously asked, “Madam, would you like to return?”

“Yes,” Jiang Tingxue replied blankly.

She wanted to ask Zheng Yihan why he treated her this way!

Even if the Prince of Yu was at fault, if he hadn’t taken the evidence, no one would have known. If the Prince succeeded in treason, he would be the princess’s husband—wasn’t that better than his current situation?

She had liked him so much!

When Zheng Yihan heard that the Third Prince was coming, he suddenly jolted awake, quickly put on his clothes without bothering to tidy himself up, and hurriedly rushed outside. In the outer hall, he found the Third Prince sitting in the main seat with a grim expression, while Zhang Shi was nervously trying to please him.

“Your Highness!” Zheng Yihan bowed.

Jiang Cunzhi heard the voice and stood up abruptly, his swift movements revealing his agitation. He asked, “How did it go with the matter I assigned you?”

Zheng Yihan didn’t dare to speak, and fortunately, no one else knew he had infiltrated the study, so he could only shake his head. “Not yet.”

Jiang Cunzhi scrutinized Zheng Yihan, his eyes narrowing, and remained silent.

Zheng Yihan maintained his composure, striving to steady himself.

After a long pause, it seemed Jiang Cunzhi noticed nothing. He turned to Zhang Shi and the maids in the hall and said, “You may leave. I have matters to discuss with Zheng.”

Zhang Shi smiled warmly. “Yes, Your Highness. Please take your time. Stay for lunch.”

“Mother, please leave,” Zheng Yihan urged, frowning. Didn’t she see how upset the Third Prince looked?

Zhang Shi pouted but eventually left, feeling pleased. She hadn’t expected her son to have such a good relationship with the Third Prince; if the Third Prince became Emperor, their family would surely rise to prominence.

Once everyone had exited, Jiang Cunzhi said, “In today’s court, the Eighth Prince presented evidence of the Prince of Yu’s treason. You were a step too late; our efforts are all in vain.”

Zheng Yihan’s heart sank. So it was the Eighth Prince. If only the Eighth Prince could remember his contribution… He felt somewhat relieved and forced a smile. “The Prince of Yu’s study is too tightly secured. While I have gained his trust, he hasn’t relaxed his guard. If I could wait a bit longer…”

Jiang Cunzhi’s expression tightened. Did he not realize that waiting too long would mean the credit would fall to him?

But the Eighth Prince had gotten ahead of him, complicating what should have been simple. His face darkened as he said quietly, “The only ally we can gain now is the Ji family. You need to find a way to get Ji back to marry you; otherwise, I intend to find her a husband.”

If they could gain the support of the Ji family, it wouldn’t matter even if the Eighth Prince received the Emperor’s approval.

Zheng Yihan’s expression changed slightly as he quickly replied, “Your Highness, Ah Li is heartbroken from what I did to her; she certainly won’t marry so soon!”

Jiang Cunzhi responded, “As long as the person you arrange for is good enough, no matter what, she’s still a woman. If someone treats her well after being hurt by you, she’ll be more easily swayed than before.”

Zheng Yihan’s eyes grew cold as he looked at the man who would casually use Ah Li again. He felt a hint of resentment towards him for the first time.

If it hadn’t been for him pushing him to marry Jiang Tingxue, why would he now worry about Ah Li marrying someone else?

But he was still a prince, and he couldn’t do anything.

He could only plead helplessly, “Your Highness, give me some time; I will make Ah Li change her mind.”

Jiang Cunzhi looked at him deeply and then smiled. “I knew you still had feelings for her. However, the situation isn’t as optimistic as it once was; time is short.”

Zheng Yihan replied firmly, “One month.”

“Very well!”

Once they agreed, Jiang Cunzhi didn’t linger and left directly. Zheng Yihan watched his retreating figure, feeling his tense body relax as he found a spot to sit down. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he wiped it away with his hand.

He exhaled deeply, almost exposing himself.

Fortunately, he had managed to deceive them for now. He needed to think about how to win back Ah Li’s heart within a month. As long as the Ji family reestablished their ties with the Zheng family, it wouldn’t matter who became emperor; he would be safe!

Just as Zheng Yihan was lost in thought, a chill suddenly crept down his spine.

He turned to see Jiang Tingxue standing in the doorway, her face pale as she looked at him.

Zheng Yihan’s expression changed slightly, but he was sure that Jiang Tingxue hadn’t been present during their conversation, so her reaction…

The two sides remained in a stalemate, neither of them speaking first.

Jiang Tingxue’s eyes grew redder, tears streaming down her face, each drop hitting the ground in the quiet living room. She spoke in a hoarse voice, “I went to see Father.”

“Tingxue…” Zheng Yihan’s throat tightened, unsure how to explain.

When he had infiltrated the Prince of Yu’s study, he had also felt guilty and hesitant.

Jiang Tingxue was deeply in love with him; he couldn’t help but be moved. Yet, he had invested too much in this matter. If he didn’t go through with it, all his efforts would be wasted.

What else could Jiang Tingxue infer from his expression? She suddenly broke down in tears, rushing forward to strike Zheng Yihan. She shouted, “Zheng Yihan, how have I wronged you? Why are you doing this to my father?”

Zheng Yihan felt the pain from her hits. Though she was a woman, she had grown up in a farming family and had learned some medical skills, so her strength was considerable.

He didn’t resist; after she vented her emotions, he finally managed to grasp her wrists and said softly, “I’m sorry.”

“What good is ‘sorry’?” Hearing him admit it only made her angrier. She yelled, “This is treason! Do you know how many people will die because of this?”

Zheng Yihan remained silent.

After a while, as her fury gradually ebbed, Jiang Tingxue took two steps back, looking at the man before her and feeling a strange distance.

She hadn’t expected that the person she had saved would turn out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Having lived for over a decade without parents, finally having a father who loved her, only to have him accused of treason by the very man she trusted.

In her anger, she suddenly recalled the earlier visit from the Third Prince. Her mind, clouded by rage, sparked a realization. “Was this a sudden decision, or had it been planned from the beginning?”

At this point, Zheng Yihan didn’t want to lie anymore. He said quietly, “I knew about your attempted suicide that day.”

So that was why he changed his mind?

Zheng Yihan didn’t elaborate, but Jiang Tingxue filled in the blanks in her mind. She had been blinded by her own obsession, thinking her decision not to marry someone else would move him. She hadn’t realized it was because of her identity.

Now, looking back, it was ridiculous. If she hadn’t attempted suicide, he would have still changed his mind. Gaining evidence of the Prince of Yu’s treason was a far greater achievement than simply giving up a concubine position!

“Slap!” A crisp sound echoed in the room.

Jiang Tingxue glared at him, her eyes red with resentment and regret. She shouted, “I hate you!”

“What are you doing?!” Outside, Zhang Shi exclaimed as she hurried in, pushing Jiang Tingxue away. Her face was pale with anger. “Don’t think just because you’re the prince’s daughter you can bully my son! Do you believe I’ll have Han’er divorce you?”

“Mother?” Zheng Yihan furrowed his brow and grabbed Zhang Shi’s arm. “Don’t interfere.”

Zhang Shi’s expression darkened. Ignoring her son, she said, “I can’t just stand by while she bullies you! As my son, I can’t let you suffer!”

Jiang Tingxue wasn’t prepared for this push, stumbling slightly. After steadying herself, she looked at the scene before her—this motherly devotion—and couldn’t help but smile bitterly. She wiped her tears with her sleeve and turned to leave indifferently.

She realized she was wrong.

After all her schemes, this was the outcome she faced—laughable.

Behind her, Zhang Shi continued to complain, “She just walks away like that? She hit you! I haven’t even hit you once!”

Zheng Yihan’s face was stinging from her blows, and he smiled wryly, shaking his head. “I’m the one who wronged her. Mother, I want to divorce her.”

Zhang Shi, unaware of the Prince of Yu’s situation, was taken aback by his words. “You’re just saying that! Don’t divorce her! The Ji family just separated; if you divorce again, what will people say about our family? Besides, she’s still the prince’s daughter!”

Zheng Yihan lowered his gaze. “The Prince of Yu has committed treason and has already been imprisoned. Though she is a married woman and not in the family tree, she is still the daughter of the Prince of Yu. Once the verdict is given, it will affect her. She can no longer stay in the capital. After I divorce her, I plan to send her back to her village and hire someone to take care of her.”

Zhang Shi’s expression changed dramatically. “Treason?!”

Seeing her son nod, she immediately changed her tune. “Divorce? Absolutely! We can’t let her implicate our family! Ah, why did you marry her in the first place? It’s such bad luck! Ji would have been better!”

With the shadow of the Prince gone, Zhang Shi brought up old grievances. “I thought she was obedient, but she’s even more troublesome than Ji Qingli, and now she’s going to drag the Zheng family down. Before, she always took you to the Prince of Yu’s manor; it scared me to death thinking she wanted you to be a son-in-law. If I had known today, I wouldn’t have allowed that divorce from Ji. At least the Ji family has won battles and is full of glory. So many people want to curry favor with them. Oh…”

The more she spoke, the more painful it became, as if she had lost countless things because of Jiang Tingxue, making her long for the Ji family whom she had once looked down upon.

Zheng Yihan watched his mother ramble on, wiping his face in frustration. He wanted to ask her where she had been all this time.

Why did things have to get so tangled, making Ah Li so resolute?

But she was his mother, so he couldn’t voice his thoughts. He left in silence, knowing he had already made too many mistakes and couldn’t afford to make another. He didn’t want Ah Li to marry someone else!

Back in the courtyard, Zheng Yihan searched for Jiang Tingxue, intending to discuss his decision with her, but bumped into her as she was finishing packing her belongings.

He froze.

Jiang Tingxue, expressionless, picked up her bundle, avoiding his gaze as she attempted to walk past him.

Instinctively, Zheng Yihan grabbed her arm and asked, “Where are you going?”

Jiang Tingxue replied coldly, “None of your business.”

“What do you mean?” Zheng Yihan said firmly. “Where can a woman like you go? With the Prince of Yu in trouble, no one can protect you now.”

“Isn’t that all because of you?” Jiang Tingxue managed to keep her composure until she heard his words. Unable to hold back anymore, she retorted fiercely, “Zheng Yihan, you got everything you wanted. Now you can go and chase Ji Qingli again! What do you care about me?!”

Zheng Yihan murmured, “You know everything…”

Jiang Tingxue bit her lip, forcing a self-deprecating smile. “I’ve always known. You’ve always had her in your heart. I pretended not to know before, thinking I could push her out of your heart. But I was wrong. Your study is full of her portraits, and they keep multiplying. I regret sneaking in to see, realizing you had no true feelings for me, only using me. I shouldn’t have forced it. So now, I’m going back to where I belong. Let go of me!”

The last four words were shouted at the top of her lungs, startling Zheng Yihan into releasing his grip.

Wiping away the tears that had unknowingly fallen, Jiang Tingxue continued to walk away.

Zheng Yihan stood there, stunned, watching her leave without a backward glance. After a long moment, he snapped back to reality and called for a servant. “Find someone to protect her and send her back.”