Chapter 36

Chapter 36

This was the first time Jiang Heng had heard herself described as "overbearing." Growing up, her parents and elder brother had called her unruly, selfish, shortsighted, stubborn, petty, and lacking in ambition—her flaws were too numerous to list—but "overbearing" had never been among them.

Gu Yu’s remark was truly unexpected.

Jiang Heng glared at him for a moment, then lowered her gaze, sat back down behind the desk, and casually tossed the handful of brushes she was holding onto the table. She picked up one that was still usable and continued writing the divorce letter.

Gu Yu also approached the desk, glanced at the divorce letter she was writing, and noted that the wording was just as cold and unfeeling as the previous one.

Without a word, he watched as Jiang Heng wrote. He idly picked up one of the discarded brushes on the table, plucked out the bristles and threw them away, then picked up another. Finally, just as she dipped her brush into the ink, he even snatched the one from her hand, plucked out its bristles, and tossed them aside.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" Jiang Heng, who had been calmly writing the divorce letter, was now thoroughly irritated by his antics.

He repeated the same cold, emotionless phrase: "I will not agree to a divorce."

Even though Jiang Heng had hoped to avoid an ugly confrontation, she now saw no other option but to resort to her last resort.

"Are you really going to force me to file a lawsuit and make this public, causing a complete loss of face?"

Contrary to his usual quick temper, Gu Yu remained calm. His phoenix eyes were unreadable, his expression placid. The smear of ink on his jade-like face even lent him an unexpectedly approachable air.

"If it comes to that, what will be known to all is that I refuse the divorce. You should know that if I stand firm, even at that stage, the divorce will not go through. There are already plenty of rumors about me. If I cared about reputation and face, I would have died of anger long ago."

Jiang Heng truly could not understand him.

Even if, at the beginning, he had refused the divorce out of anger and a desire for revenge after discovering her involvement with her elder brother—to thwart her wishes and make life difficult for her and her brother—his change of heart later might have been due to concerns about Silang and A Yue’s marriages.

But now, he had explicitly stated that those were not the reasons. So what was he still holding onto?

Could it be that he still hadn’t vented his anger and intended to continue tormenting her?

Yet that didn’t seem likely. Recently, he had done nothing to retaliate against her, and he wasn’t the type to be so petty and vindictive.

Then what was the reason? What could make him refuse a divorce even if it meant taking the matter to the authorities, causing a public scandal, and losing all dignity?

Unless…

Was it because she resembled her elder sister?

He had married her because he couldn’t have her sister, whom he had loved. Now, still unable to have her sister, he refused to let her go?

Everything seemed to fall into place.

What other reason could there be? Considering recent events, the only significant matter was Prince Qin’s interest in her sister. That had to be the reason.

And to think she had once sympathized with him, pitied his unrequited love, and even tried to offer him some warmth and dignity in her own way.

Yet he repaid kindness with malice. Unable to obtain the moon, he insisted on keeping her as a shadow.

If that was the case, why should she still care about his well-being?

Didn’t he adore her sister? If he truly did, shouldn’t he fight for her? Her sister had said that competing and winning or losing were matters for men. Presumably, any rivalry between him and Prince Qin wouldn’t greatly affect her sister. So why should she hold back?

She should urge him. If he truly loved her sister, this was his last chance. Taking a risk might just allow him to fulfill his wish and win the beauty. Otherwise, once her sister remarried, he would have no opportunity left.

Jiang Heng composed herself, suppressing the irritation he had provoked. After a moment of silence, she spoke softly and calmly, "We have been married for three years. You should understand by now that I am not my sister. In talent, grace, insight, or temperament, I am nothing like her. One might even say I’m not even as good as the maids she trained. Have you forgotten? You yourself said that I am uneducated and vulgar."

A flicker of emotion crossed Gu Yu’s calm expression. Frowning, he tried to recall but had no memory of it. "When did I say that?"

"When my cat misbehaved, you punished me by making me recite texts. Later, I grew tired and didn’t want to serve you, so I lied. You became angry and said that if I put as much effort into studying as I did into raising my cat, I wouldn’t be so uneducated and vulgar."

She described it in such detail that Gu Yu finally remembered. Around that time, he had reviewed the accounts of the Peony Garden. Although the accounts were clear, the handwriting was awful. Moreover, she had given such beautiful, peerless peonies names like "Ox Red" and "Ox Yellow." Naturally, he felt she was neglecting her studies for trivial pursuits.

He hadn’t expected her to take it to heart.

It was true that he had been too harsh and spoken too bluntly.

If it was his mistake, he would admit it.

"What do you want? I can make it up to you," he said frankly. Seeing her about to speak, he quickly added, "But not divorce."

Jiang Heng hadn’t brought it up to seek compensation or an apology. She simply wanted him to see clearly that she was far inferior to her sister and could never measure up to her.

"Actually, you’re not at fault. Everyone is drawn to beauty. Since you admired my sister so much, it’s natural to have certain expectations of me. Unfortunately, no matter how much I imitate her—wearing the same clothes, the same hairpins, the same makeup—I can never match her knowledge, talent, or insight. Time reveals a person’s true nature. Sooner or later, you will realize that I am not her."

Gu Yu remained silent, simply staring intently at her.

Seeing that he didn’t interrupt and seemed to be following her line of thought, Jiang Heng continued, "I know you are a person of deep feelings. All these years, you’ve never forgotten my sister. See? Heaven favors you. It’s giving you another chance, isn’t it?"

Gu Yu had already guessed her intentions earlier, and now he was even more certain of what she was trying to do. Yet he said nothing, quietly watching her as if fully immersed in her reasoning.

"My sister told me that she was able to return safely to the capital, be released from prison, and return home all because of your help. She is very grateful to you." Jiang Heng paused, then addressed the matter of Prince Qin without evasion. "Although we all sensed that Prince Qin might be interested in my sister during the polo match, do you remember? When Prince Qin invited her to play chess, she declined. When he invited her to play polo, she also declined. Why do you think that is?"

Jiang Heng was leading him step by step, even prompting him to guess the reason.

Gu Yu said indifferently, "As I recall, she didn’t outright refuse?"

Jiang Heng laughed lightly. "After all, he is Prince Qin. My sister had to consider the imperial family’s dignity. How could she outright refuse? Not accepting is a refusal in itself."

"You remember that day, my sister and I returned together in the carriage. She told me that she prefers you. You’ve helped her so much. As long as you wish to marry her, she would be willing."

A flicker of emotion passed through Gu Yu’s eyes. He looked at her for a long moment, unsure whether to be angry or amused, and let out a soft snort.

Jiang Heng continued, "I know you’re concerned about Prince Qin’s intentions. But Prince Qin hasn’t made any moves yet. Although he holds a higher position and greater power than you, he also has more constraints. He may not necessarily win against you. Are you really going to give up on my sister so easily? Won’t you regret it? Think about it—the person you’ve longed for over the past six years, whom you now have a chance to marry. Are you willing to just let her go?"

"So?" Gu Yu pretended not to understand, urging her to be more explicit.

"So, you should go and propose to my sister," Jiang Heng said, her eyes filled with encouragement. "Prince Qin is on good terms with you and knows you’ve long been interested in my sister. Surely, he wouldn’t dare to obstruct or compete with you outright."

Gu Yu chuckled.

"After all that, you still want a divorce?" His eyes were icy, devoid of any warmth.

Jiang Heng met his cold gaze without flinching. "The only reason you refuse to divorce me is that you can’t have my sister, isn’t it?"

"Jiang Heng," he finally showed anger on his usually impassive face, addressing her by her full name. "If I truly wanted to marry your sister, I wouldn’t have waited until now without divorcing you. I would have petitioned for an imperial decree to marry her as soon as she returned to the capital. Even if the Emperor didn’t grant it immediately, I would have made sure everyone knew I intended to marry her. I wouldn’t have given Prince Qin the chance to notice her. I would have held her tightly, ensuring no one else could even think of coveting her."

Jiang Heng fell silent, a cold smirk tugging at her lips. So, by that logic, what he had done to her was relatively merciful?

"It’s not too late to do it now," Jiang Heng said calmly.

"Jiang Heng!"

Unnoticed, Gu Yu had grabbed a handful of brush handles. As he spoke, with a sharp crack, the brushes snapped in his hand.

Jiang Heng was slightly startled, her eyelashes fluttering as she instinctively moved away from him.

Gu Yu glanced down at the object in his hand, tossed it into the spittoon, and remained silent for a moment.

He had told himself many times the day before—no matter what she said, he must not get angry or lose his temper. She was timid and preferred gentle people. He had intended to speak with her calmly and reasonably, so why had he gotten angry again?

Hadn’t he always known she wanted a divorce? This time, she had even pushed her sister forward just to achieve it.

Coaxing him patiently, appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him, urging him to compete with Prince Qin for her sister.

"My desire to marry your sister was from six years ago. Now, I no longer have any such intention."

Jiang Heng’s last glimmer of hope was shattered.

"No intention?" Jiang Heng’s eyes held a trace of mockery. She had always thought he was a loyal man, but it turned out he wasn’t so steadfast after all?

"Duke Wei, just two months ago, you were still calling me 'Ling Lu,' and you told me you would marry my sister."

Gu Yu said nothing, his gaze fixed intently on her. Why had he said those hateful words about marrying Jiang Wan? Did she truly not know?

Could she not distinguish between words spoken in anger and words spoken in truth?

"Are you willing to listen to what I say now?" he asked coldly.

"I have never forgotten a single word you’ve said, Duke," Jiang Heng replied calmly.

"Then why won’t you listen when I say no to divorce?"

Jiang Heng was left speechless, and fell silent.

"Jiang Heng, understand this clearly: I have no intention of marrying your sister now, nor will I ever in the future. I will not marry her simply because I do not wish to. It has nothing to do with anyone else," he said bluntly.

Jiang Heng couldn’t understand. Why wouldn't he want to marry her? He had always called her "Ling Lu," only softening when he uttered that name. He had helped her sister so diligently...

"Why wouldn't you want to marry her? If you didn’t, why did you help my sister so much, Duke Wei? Stop deceiving yourself."

Gu Yu gave a bitter laugh. He was deceiving himself? If she truly understood him so well, how could she speak thousands of words yet completely miss the point?

But since she asked, he would tell her about those past events.

"Six years ago, your sister helped me greatly. At her coming-of-age banquet, she gave me a peony painting and praised the military poem I wrote to all the distinguished guests. It was then that your elder brother began to take notice of me, asking for my input in decision-making and giving me opportunities to make my mark."

"On another occasion, when your brother used unauthorized punishment to have me caned, it was also your sister who stepped in to save me. Six years ago, I was indeed moved by these kindnesses to seek her hand in marriage. Now, I help her for the same reasons."

Jiang Heng blinked, studying Gu Yu's face closely, but she couldn’t recall. She only remembered that when she found her elder brother, he was indeed about to strike someone, but she hadn’t looked closely at that person’s face. Was it possibly Gu Yu?

But what difference did it make? Even if she had helped him, the one he truly wished to acknowledge was still her sister.

According to him, his feelings for her sister were based solely on gratitude, not affection. So why was he still refusing the divorce?

Jiang Heng was completely baffled.

"Do you have any other doubts about your sister?" Gu Yu asked, hoping she wouldn’t cling to that one angry remark and resurrect the ridiculous notion of pushing him toward Jiang Wan.

"Then why exactly are you unwilling to agree to divorce?" Jiang Heng thought that as long as she could find the reason, there might be a solution.

Gu Yu looked at her and fell silent again.

Jiang Heng did not press him, waiting patiently for his response.

"No reason. I just don’t want to," Gu Yu finally replied after a long pause, making Jiang Heng frown.

"Not wanting a divorce is reason enough," he added.

Jiang Heng pursed her lips in frustration. What kind of reason is that?

She had tried so hard, said so much, and yet gotten nowhere in the end.

Jiang Heng’s eyes reddened, and she was on the verge of tears.

Gu Yu noticed and, almost without thinking, stepped closer, instinctively raising his hands to cradle her face.

He was trying to comfort her, but she instinctively resisted, grabbing his wrists with both hands and with weak but stubborn resistance trying to break free.

"I’ve listened to you say so much. Will you, in turn, listen seriously to what I have to say?"

He did not let go despite her resistance, holding her face so she had to look up into his eyes. He waited until she calmed down, no longer lost in the disappointment of being unable to secure a divorce, before releasing her.

"After three years as husband and wife, have you never felt even a shred of affection for me?"

Jiang Heng nodded calmly, without any emotion. Unlike his past words spoken in anger, her reply came from the bottom of her heart. Even though he had anticipated it and reminded himself countless times not to lose his temper with her, Gu Yu’s expression darkened for a moment, unable to fully suppress his frustration.

After a moment of silence, he suppressed the resentment in his chest and acted calm and indifferent. "Since we’ve made it through three years like this, why must you insist on a divorce now?"

Jiang Heng remained silent, so Gu Yu answered for her: "Is it still because of Yan Hui?"

"You thought he was dead before, so it didn’t matter who you married. Now that you know he’s alive, you’ve started thinking of him again?"

Jiang Heng was silent for a moment before replying calmly, "Not entirely. I also don’t want to keep pretending to be my sister anymore. I don’t want to drift through life like this anymore."

In the end, it was her fault for not having genuine freedom. If she had divorced earlier, no matter the distance or difficulties, with careful planning, she could have gone to find her brother on her own.

"You don’t have to be your sister. As for how you live your life, it has nothing to do with your status."

Jiang Heng looked at him. How could it have nothing to do with it?

Gu Yu could see she didn’t agree with him, but he didn’t get angry, calmly reasoning with her: "If—"

Worried she might take one phrase out of context again, he emphasized, "Understand clearly, I’m saying 'if,' not that I actually want a divorce."

"If you and I were to divorce now, what would you plan to do?"

Jiang Heng naturally wouldn’t tell him, so she remained silent.

"Although the north and south are unified now, and there’s no open war with Prince Zhennan, the border restrictions are very strict. If you want to travel south, taking the official route requires the Emperor’s personal written permission. If you take back-roads, you’ll need to hire a team of guards at great expense and risk being caught and punished for traveling south without permission. So, the official route is not an option, and the back-roads are also not feasible because the Jiang family won’t allow you to take such risks."

"If you can’t go south, you’ll have to stay with the Jiang family. Your sister is intelligent and well-connected, with deep emotional and interest ties to your parents and brother. They might not pressure her to remarry, but you—you don’t want to marry anyone except Yan Hui. Will they let you have your way?"

Jiang Heng said nothing.

"Even if we divorce now, you won’t be able to immediately be with Yan Hui. You can shed the status of Duchess of Wei, but you can’t escape being a daughter of the Jiang family. The reason you compromised before, the reason you agreed to marry me, is ultimately because you couldn’t escape that identity."

Jiang Heng was naturally aware of this. Sometimes it was like this: even though her family hadn’t treated her well, she would still worry about them because of their occasional kindness. She had resented her father and mother since childhood, yet she never stopped hoping they would bring her home. She had little affection for her father and mother, yet she always wished she could make them proud, just like her sister.

Her sister was so outstanding, and they preferred an outstanding daughter—what was wrong with that? In the end, it was her own fault for not being outstanding enough.

"If you really do divorce and return home, will you have peace? The Jiang family has many social connections, and there are plenty of better suitors than Yan Hui. Even if you insist on not remarrying, there will inevitably be difficulties, won’t there?"

Jiang Heng had naturally considered these matters and was prepared to face them.

"Since a divorce cannot fulfill your wishes immediately, what difference does it make where you are? Returning to the Jiang family will only bring more troubles. Here, you only have to face me alone. I will not delay you for long—one year. After a year, if you still wish to divorce, I will not stand in your way."

He said so much, yet Jiang Heng wasn’t really swayed.

"In a year, Prince Zhennan's situation should be resolved. If Yan Hui survives, he will likely land some official position, big or small. By then, the Jiang family might no longer oppose your marriage to him."

Gu Yu noticed the woman's eyes shifted, finally considering his words. Indeed, only Yan Hui could stir her thoughts.

Was there nothing else in her life besides Yan Hui?

Jiang Heng fell silent for a long time, pondering deeply before looking up to ask him, "From what you say, delaying the divorce for a year seems to benefit only me. What about you? What do you gain?"

Looking out for oneself was only natural; she did not believe Gu Yu had no agenda.

Gu Yu remained silent. His gain was betting that after a year, she would no longer want to divorce.

But telling her would only make her fear he would break his promise again, making her reluctant to agree.

What else could he gain?

"Prince Qin wants to marry off his sister to me. I don’t want her. For this year, I still need a wife." He spoke shamelessly, staring at his nose, heart pounding.

Jiang Heng was taken aback. How had she never heard of this?

Prince Qin’s sister was about the same age as Gu Qingyue, ten years younger than Gu Yu. Gu Yu was still a married man—how could Prince Qin consider such a thing?

"You know, if A Yue learns of Prince Qin’s intentions toward your sister, this marriage might not happen. So, Prince Qin has other ideas." Gu Yu still gazed downward, avoiding her eyes.

This explanation seemed reasonable.

But...

"I don’t want to drink the contraceptive brew anymore," Jiang Heng said.

Gu Yu had anticipated this request. He was drawn to her fragrance, unconsciously drawn to her, wanting intimacy... but she felt nothing for him. He could keep his hands to himself, but that wasn’t contraceptive medicine—she needed to drink it daily for any chance of recovery.

"No," he refused.

"Then—"

Before she could say "forget it," Gu Yu cut in, "Do you have a choice? I’ve said it before—even if you shout it from the rooftops, I still won’t agree to a divorce."

Jiang Heng glared at him. Was he still going to force her?

"Everything else is negotiable, but not the contraceptive brew." His tone was firm, leaving no room for discussion.

Seeing her still shot him an accusing look, he added, "Do you want to carry my child?"

"I don’t want my child to be without a mother a year from now."

"That won’t happen." Jiang Heng had previously allowed Doctor Han to examine her and prescribe the contraceptive brew, partly to keep the truth from Gu Yu and partly from fear of accidents. Now, after drinking it for so many days, her condition had likely worsened.

"I have a condition and cannot conceive."

Even though he had known all along, Gu Yu was infuriated. She was doing this deliberately, dragging her feet on purpose...

His fist clenched, and he couldn’t resist slamming it on the table, sending the inkstone rattling and splattering ink.

Jiang Heng’s lashes fluttered, and she stepped back.

Gu Yu turned away, his back to her, taking a long time to calm down.

"In that case, you must get treated."

Jiang Heng looked up at him, clearly surprised by his response.

"If Yan Hui knew, he would also tell you to get help."

Gu Yu hated the words coming from his mouth but knew they were the only ones that would sway her.

Now, she only had eyes for Yan Hui.

Yet Jiang Heng still wouldn't budge.

Gu Yu understood—she was resisting. She and her sister were completely different people. Jiang Wan’s silence was a tactic of playing coy; his wife’s silence was outright refusal, a rebellion.

"I won’t let you carry my child. If I want to touch you, I’ll take something myself," he added.

"But I’ve heard that too much of that medicine can make a man sterile." So, it was best not to touch her, lest he end up heirless.

Gu Yu let out a frustrated laugh. Should he call her kind or...

"Can you agree now not to divorce?"

Jiang Heng gave a slight nod after some thought.

Gu Yu immediately said, "In that case, for this year, you are not to mention 'divorce' again."

She was at it every few days—either talking of divorce or taking off without a word. Even after agreeing to delay the divorce, she would suddenly break her promise and leave. Gu Yu was already at his wit's end over it, unable to focus on important matters for days.

Why was she so docile and agreeable around Yan Hui, yet so willful and hard to handle with him?

"I have one more condition," Jiang Heng said.

Another condition? Gu Yu closed his eyes helplessly. Wasn’t she so easily led around Yan Hui? Why so shrewd with him?

"Speak," he said, bottling up his feelings, speaking calmly.