Yue Heng stated his position. “I can make him realize that this matter can be pinned on the Empress. All you need to do is escalate it. But there’s a problem, if you use the same thing twice, the impact will not be grea.”
Yue Heng understood that their true target wasn’t the Empress.
Wei Yunzhao said in deep voice, “So the Empress cannot die. Not only must she live, but she must also deliver the final blow herself.” Just as Emperor Changde had pinned all the blame on the Empress, they would make her return the favor in full.
Jiang Lin added, “If, after she turns on Emperor Changde, we reveal that the Empress herself has committed unforgivable crimes, the situation will become even more… interesting.”
The speaker had intent, and the listener took note. Yue Heng couldn’t help but feel that Jiang Lin was hinting at something.
But he quickly dismissed the thought. His identity and the truth about his mother’s death were known to very few, and Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao couldn’t possibly be aware of it.
“By the way, Your Highness,” Jiang Lin suddenly asked, “when you went to see Su Qiao earlier, did she give you the cold shoulder or say anything about ending things?”
Before Yue Heng could fully process Jiang Lin’s earlier words, he found himself being questioned again, with Jiang Lin looking at him with a gossipy smile.
Yue Heng replied, “If I said she didn’t, would you be disappointed?”
Jiang Lin shook his head. “On the contrary, I’d be disappointed if she had.”
Yue Heng was puzzled, so Jiang Lin explained, “Look, her father was killed by your father, who also wiped out her entire family and tortured her like this. Yet, she doesn’t blame you at all. Do you think she’s being overly rational, or is she so deeply in love with you that she can overlook all of this?”
Yue Heng frowned slightly. “But I didn’t do any of those things. Besides, he is my enemy too.” He didn’t like Jiang Lin’s way of framing the situation.
“Right, none of this is your fault, but you’re the son of Su Qiao’s enemy. That alone creates a barrier between you. Or think about it this way, if someone you loved had a father who killed someone you cared about, how would you feel?”
From a rational standpoint, the sins of the previous generation shouldn’t affect the next generation. But people were emotional, and emotions often didn't align with rationality.
Yue Heng was a smart man, and with Jiang Lin’s guidance, he quickly understood. Su Qiao did like him, but she had never considered spending her life with him. Otherwise, why wouldn’t she be angry or resentful?
Yue Heng stood up and left, heading straight for Su Qiao’s room.
Once he was gone, Jiang Lin got up and pushed Wei Yunzhao back into the room. Wei Yunzhao asked, “Didn’t you say before that you wouldn’t get involved in their affairs? Why did you suddenly decide to give the Sixth Prince a reminder tonight?”
Jiang Lin replied, “That was before. Now it’s different. Su Qiao’s tendons are severed, and she can’t move easily. She needs someone to take care of her and find a doctor to treat her. Besides, her nanny is gone, and she has no family left in this world. I don’t want her to live only for revenge, because once the revenge is over, she’ll have no hope left.”
What will happen to someone without hope?
The answer is obvious.
Jiang Lin carried Wei Yunzhao to bed and held him tightly. “I’m tired. Let’s sleep.”
Wei Yunzhao carefully avoided Jiang Lin’s wounds. “Alright, let’s sleep.”
It had been an exhausting day.
…
Early the next morning, Jiang Lin took Su Qiao back to the small courtyard and instructed her, “If anyone comes to kill you again, tell them that if you die, the secret letter will be scattered all over the streets. Let them try.”
After last night’s failure and the bodies being delivered to the government office this morning, the enemy would hesitate to throw something at a rat for fear of breaking the vase.
[投鼠忌器 (tóu shǔ jì qì): lit. Hesitate to throw something at a rat for fear of breaking the vase; fig. To hesitate to take action for fear of causing collateral damage]
The Sixth Prince would also send people to protect Su Qiao, so Jiang Lin wasn’t too worried about her safety. He left Bai Wei behind to take care of her.
However, after walking a few steps, he turned back, unable to resist asking about the gossip between her and the Sixth Prince. “How did things go between you two last night?”
Su Qiao smiled helplessly. “Young Madam, I knew it was you who told him.”
Jiang Lin admitted, “Yes, it was me. So, did you two work things out?”
Su Qiao shook her head, there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Young Madam, you are right. I do care about him, so it bothers me. I can’t forget the hatred or the people who died in front of me. Even though he hates that dog emperor as much as I do, he is still the emperor’s son. I can’t get past that barrier in my heart.”
Jiang Lin patted Su Qiao on the head. “Actually, it’s better than I thought. At least you’re not cutting nails and slicing iron like last time, saying it’s impossible between you two. You’ll come to realize that the Sixth Prince hates that dog emperor just as much as you do.”
[斩钉截铁 (zhǎn dīng jié tiě): lit. Cut nails and slice iron; fig. To be resolute and decisive]
“As for how you two will move forward, you can think about it slowly. I just hope you remember that besides revenge, there are other things you can do, and there are still people who will stand by you. You’re not alone anymore.”
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