Chapter 74: Jiang Wan’s Origins

Chapter 74: Jiang Wan's Origins

The other party's intention for her to leave was quite clear, so Lady Xu got straight to the point.

Her voice was soft, devoid of much past resentment, merely a heartbroken account of the past.

"After you rescued us from the prison, not long after, your father, Chancellor Qin, found us. He said he had already arranged for you to marry a woman from the Wang family, and he took us to witness your wedding ceremony.

My sister said she didn’t blame you. She said you had done your best, and she wanted to take me away from the capital.

So, Qin Zhenning, it wasn’t wrong for you to break your vow and marry another—after all, human nature is selfish. Even birds in the same forest scatter when disaster strikes, let alone my sister, who never actually went through with the wedding ceremony with you.

But I want to ask you: did you know about those people who came after us later? Did your father send them, or were you involved as well?"

Xu Ruoyu’s words hit Qin Zhenning like a blow to the head, leaving him utterly stunned.

He whirled around abruptly, glaring at her fiercely.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean I married someone else? When did I ever take a wife?

That woman from the Wang family was my elder brother’s second wife. At the time, he was fighting for his life on his sickbed, and my parents wanted to arrange a marriage for him to bring good fortune. That’s why they called me back to stand in for my brother during the wedding ceremony.

Doesn't this kind of thing happen in other families too? How could you not have known? Why didn’t you come and ask me? Why?!"

Lady Xu gave a bitter smile.

"After returning to the capital, I inquired and found out that the third son of the Qin family was still unmarried. That’s when I guessed there must have been a misunderstanding.

But what does it matter now?

My sister… she's gone forever anyway."

Her eyes were filled with sorrow, the pain in her heart too overwhelming to contain, tears falling scattered and broken.

"Back then, we were pursued and fled the capital in a panic. We hid all the way, barely escaping with our lives, and later wandered to Yuquan County. In our most desperate hour, we met Jiang Huailiang…"

"Stop!"

The handsome, refined man squeezed his eyes shut in agony, hiding the warmth and wetness welling up in them.

"I know what happened next. Don’t say another word."

Just as Xu Ruoyu had said, even if he knew his father had interfered back then, what could he do?

Not to mention his father had done it for the family’s sake, but his father had already died many years ago. There was no way he could confront him about it now.

And Jin Jieer was gone too—he couldn’t sully her reputation either.

So, let it be.

Let his confused life remain like this, honoring those who slumber eternally in the passage of time. Soon, he would see her again.

"You don’t know."

Lady Xu steeled herself before taking out from her sleeve the jade pendant with intertwined branches her sister had clutched until her dying breath.

"My sister… she still remembered you until the very end."

She handed over the jade pendant. After more than a decade, the token of their love returned to its owner.

"I originally didn’t want to come find you. What’s past is past, and it’s best if everyone can live peacefully. But recently, Wan Jieer has been ambushed multiple times.

Although my husband is a military man, he is smooth-tempered and never easily makes deadly enemies outside. Aside from your side, I can’t think of anyone else who would target a young girl like her."

Qin Zhenning stroked the jade pendant in his hand, as if he saw again that bad girl he had loved. Yes, in his heart, Xu Ruojin, who always loved to tease him, was a bad girl. Xu Ruojin, whom he had searched for half his life, was truly a bad girl.

"That child… I heard she looks very much like your sister?"

"Yes."

Lady Xu raised her eyes.

"She also looks very much like you."

Boom!!!

Qin Zhenning felt a roaring in his ears, nearly drowning out Xu Ruoyu’s words.

"Wan Jieer is now twelve years and nine months old. Come next spring’s Flower Festival, it will be her thirteenth birthday."

"Born on the Flower Festival? Good, a girl born on the Flower Festival is good—she must be beautiful…"

The elegant, handsome man wept uncontrollably.

Lady Xu cried too.

She cried for this man who had truly loved her sister, grateful that he had not failed her. She also cried for their eternal separation.

This was something she had thought about for a long, long time before deciding to fulfill her sister’s wish. Even though her sister never said it aloud until her dying day, Xu Ruoyu knew. In her sister’s heart, she had never let go of Qin Zhenning.

"My sister and Jiang Huailiang were a false couple. We were saved by him by coincidence, and to give the child a legitimate identity, my sister gave all her money to Jiang Huailiang to bribe him into acting out a marital farce.

It was agreed that after the child was born, they would separate. But who could have known my sister would die in difficult childbirth, leaving the child behind and passing away just like that.

Later, I truly had no other choice. The world outside was too turbulent, and I had no skills to speak of. So I brought Wan Jieer and forced myself upon Jiang Huailiang…"

In her soft, gentle narration lay the untold sorrows of over a decade.

Qin Zhenning stood up and bowed deeply to her.

"Thank you, little sister, for telling me the truth. Thank you for raising my child."

"You don’t need to thank me. I didn’t do this for you, and I didn’t come here today for you either."

Lady Xu avoided his bow.

"If you truly have a heart, take good care of Wan Jieer from now on. The Jiang family comes from humble origins and lacks influence, and my old Xu family has long died out with no one left.

Wan Jieer has already been betrothed to the Fourth Prince. No one can guarantee what will happen in the future. What needs to be done—you naturally understand.

I’ve said all I need to say. Farewell."

Having said all that needed to be said, Lady Xu turned and left.

Qin Zhenning staggered to his feet and hurried back to his inner chamber. He twisted the mechanism by the bed, and a hidden door opened. Weeping and laughing, he rushed toward the memorial tablet enshrined in the secret room.

A daughter of the Xu family, a wife of the Qin family.

"You bad girl, you’ve been deceiving me since we were young! Wuwuwu… always deceiving me…"

The sound of suppressed, muffled weeping made even the drifting clouds beyond the window retreat swiftly, unable to bear hearing it.

At the Jiang residence.

Da Huzi (The Bearded One) sat in his chair, his face dark with anger—clearly not someone who'd be easy to calm down.

"Husband, please don’t be angry anymore."

Lady Xu sat guiltily to the side, speaking softly in an attempt to calm him.

"You said you couldn’t find any hidden guards, nor any good masters for both civil and military training. Honestly, that isn’t really your fault—it’s mostly because our family lacks a strong foundation and enough clout.

Normally, grinding through two or three generations, we could gradually accumulate these things. But now, with the urgent need at hand, it’s actually a good thing that Qin Zhenning can step in, since we don’t have those resources ourselves."

"Good? What’s so good about it?"

Jiang Huailiang glared at his wife, retorting angrily.

"You go out for one trip, and just like that, you give our daughter away? Tell me, exactly what part of that is 'good'?"

"She hasn’t been given away—she’s still right here with us! Husband~" Lady Xu shook his arm, coaxingly.

"If Qin Zhenning had truly betrayed my sister, I would never have gone to tell him any of this. But he didn’t—he’s spent all these years looking for her!

Husband, my sister loved him her entire life, and even in her final moments, she was still thinking of him. Now that we know the truth of what happened back then, how could we not let my sister find peace underground?"