Chapter 202: All Previous Efforts Wasted

The servants, Dao Qin and Jian Shu, dared not stop her. Seeing her sudden outburst, although their hearts skipped a beat in fear, they stood frozen in place, unmoving.

Xie Wei, however, turned his head leisurely, completely unbothered by her almost “door-breaking” entrance. His narrow eyes softened under the gentle daylight, and he casually smiled, asking, “Who has provoked you to be so angry?”

After Jiang Xuening woke up and was examined by the doctor, she felt weak all over. She was supposed to have a bowl of porridge and rest to recuperate. But after drinking half a bowl of porridge brought by her maid, she grew angrier the more she thought about it. The nameless fury she had suppressed for so long not only didn’t subside but instead flared up violently, as if fueled by oil.

So, she slammed the bowl and stormed over.

Now standing in the room, she scrutinized Xie Wei, who was sitting casually by the window, with a sarcastic, half-smile. “I’ve been thinking, I was wrong. Someone like you, Master Xie, actually deserves to die.”

Previously, she had said, “Are you even worthy of death?”

Now, she changed her phrasing.

Xie Wei raised an eyebrow slightly, the smile on his lips deepening, but he showed no anger. Still calm and composed, he asked, “Oh, so you’ve changed your mind again?”

The forced smile on Jiang Xuening’s face instantly turned cold. She finally lost the patience to banter with him and went straight to the point, “Was it Wushi Powder you brought that day?”

Xie Wei gazed at her, “Didn’t you already ask the doctor?”

Jiang Xuening choked, “So it’s true?”

This place was already considered the northern region, and even with the sun out, it was still bitterly cold. She had come out dressed in thick brocade robes and a soft cloak, bundled up tightly. Yet, her face was thin, making her figure appear even more frail. As she spoke, her cheeks flushed with anger, but beads of sweat formed on her forehead and nose due to her weakness.

He was truly afraid she might collapse from standing.

Xie Wei softened his voice and gently pointed to the seat opposite the table where the qin was placed, saying, “Sit down and talk.”

Jiang Xuening had indeed just woken up and was feeling weak. Hearing his words, she instinctively moved to sit down. But just as she was about to take a step, she suddenly snapped out of it—

If she sat, her momentum would weaken, and it would be harder to speak her mind.

She stiffened her legs, refusing to move, and stubbornly said, “I won’t sit. Was it Wushi Powder? Is it true?”

Xie Wei finally furrowed his brows slightly, the earlier ease in his expression fading. He silently looked at her for a moment before admitting, “It’s true.”

This answer was within Jiang Xuening’s expectations.

But hearing him say it aloud still filled her with an inexplicable sense of absurdity. “As the esteemed Imperial Tutor, a role model for scholars across the land, how could you not know what that substance truly is? Only the foolish, reckless, and decadent would regard it as a remedy for sorrow! Have you sunk so low as to join their ranks?”

Her words weren’t particularly harsh.

But it had been a long time since anyone dared to speak to him like this.

Recalling those long nights spent sitting by the lamp, waiting for dawn, Xie Wei remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly and earnestly, “It won’t happen again.”

Jiang Xuening’s heart skipped a beat.

Even her eyelids twitched.

What should have been an ordinary sentence, under Xie Wei’s gaze, carried a tender yet solemn weight, as if it were a promise he was making to her.

And that person was herself.

If barging in and questioning him earlier had been an impulsive act driven by overwhelming anger, then the moment Xie Wei spoke those words, all of Jiang Xuening’s impulsiveness and fury receded like the tide, leaving behind only bare rocks that jolted her awake—

This was no longer the wilderness.

If she didn’t carefully maintain her distance from Xie Wei, she could easily be swept into a whirlpool of circumstances beyond her control. She shouldn’t overstep her bounds with Xie Wei. Once certain lines were crossed, it would not only lead to misunderstandings but also irreversible consequences.

Xie Wei continued to gaze at her gently, “I don’t lie to you. Don’t you believe me?”

Jiang Xuening felt an increasing sense of solemnity within her.

She quietly reined herself in, lowering her eyes and recalling how she used to interact with this Imperial Tutor. Forcing a smile, she said, “Your word is as good as gold, naturally trustworthy. This student is relieved now. My earlier words were rude, but they came from genuine concern for your safety. I hope you won’t take offense.”

“…”

The faint smile at the corner of Xie Wei’s lips slowly faded.

How perceptive was he?

He almost instantly noticed the sudden distance in her demeanor, as if she had realized she had done something extraordinary and inappropriate. Or perhaps she had been frightened by something he said earlier.

Jiang Xuening felt his gaze but heard no response from him. A wave of unease washed over her, along with a hint of self-reproach.

She and Xie Wei had shared an exceptionally unique experience.

This meant that if she wasn’t careful, her true nature would show, and she would become careless and imprudent. Xie Wei would seize the opportunity to inch closer, and by the time she realized and tried to pull away, it would be too late.

At this moment, Jiang Xuening desperately wanted to flee, but she knew that leaving like this would tacitly acknowledge that their relationship had subtly changed.

And that was not what she wanted.

So, racking her brains, she finally thought of a suitable topic to regain her composure. She asked, “Now that we’re stranded in Jinan, still a thousand miles from the border, and Yan Lin, as a disgraced official, has already rushed ahead to the frontier without our support, I wonder if he’ll encounter difficulties. To save the princess, we must fight the Tatars, and to fight the Tatars, we must have military power. I didn’t dare ask earlier on the journey, but now… where will the military power come from?”

Would they simply raise a rebel banner?

But Yan Lin’s clan had been exiled, and they were all in Huangzhou. Even if they had privately trained soldiers, it would be impossible to send them a thousand miles to the border for battle. The movement alone would be impossible to conceal, and the court wouldn’t sit idly by.

So how could they succeed?

Jiang Xuening’s question hit the nail on the head.

But Xie Wei wasn’t particularly inclined to answer at the moment.

He silently watched her, as if trying to see through her, to peel back every layer and understand her completely.

After a long pause, he finally said, “A forged edict.”

“A forged edict?!”

Jiang Xuening was stunned by these two words, her scalp tingling. But after quickly thinking it through, she realized it was an almost flawless plan! Xie Wei often attended cabinet meetings and was well-versed in the court’s affairs. If he were to step forward with a so-called “imperial edict” and hand over the military power at the border to Yan Lin, who would dare to question it? By the time the border confirmed with the court or news of the war reached the central plains, the battle would likely already be over!

Once the princess was safe, marching troops into the capital would be no difficult task.

As for how the princess would react at that time…

Jiang Xuening didn’t want to think further, as she had no power to change the overall situation, nor the right to stop those who had endured injustice from seeking revenge.

She slowly exhaled, as if trying to calm the emotions stirred up by Xie Wei’s words, and then prepared to say something like “Your foresight is truly remarkable” before making her exit.

Unexpectedly, Xie Wei suddenly called out to her, “Ning’er.”

Jiang Xuening was startled and looked up, “Do you have any instructions, sir?”

Xie Wei raised his hand and lightly plucked a qin string, causing it to vibrate and release a lingering, trembling note.

His eyes sparkled as he looked at her with a smile.

But this smile carried an unprecedented teasing and mockery, as he said lightly, “I thought you were here to confront me because you were resentful and angry that I said the food you made was unpalatable.”

“How dare you say that?!”

Jiang Xuening immediately reacted like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on, almost jumping up! As the saying goes, “Don’t hit a person’s face, don’t expose their shortcomings,” and Xie Wei was clearly mocking her! The resentment she had been harboring since her coma exploded in an instant, and she completely forgot about restraint, caution, and keeping her distance.

Her angry words spilled out.

“You ate it and still complain! If you’re so capable, why don’t you spit it out!”

Her face turned red, like a small beast baring its teeth, ready to fight for life and death. But in Xie Wei’s eyes, she was just a young, harmless creature showing off its milk teeth.

He was thoroughly amused.

The laughter in his pupils was like the clear spring scenery at the tip of a willow branch. He simply said, “I’m not capable enough to spit it out. How about I make something for you to try in the future, and make you admit defeat willingly?”

A blatant slap in the face!

Jiang Xuening’s face turned as colorful as a water-soaked painting. She felt that staying in this place any longer would drive her to madness. While she still had some rationality left, she coldly snorted, “I wouldn’t dare trouble you!”

With that, she turned and strode toward the door.

She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she might lose control and rush over to beat up this annoying man!

Xie Wei didn’t stop her, just watched her go with a smile.

But as Jiang Xuening reached the door, one hand on the doorframe, she seemed to suddenly remember something crucial. Her body stiffened, as if she had turned to stone.

Xie Wei pretended not to notice and casually asked, “What’s wrong?”

At this moment, Jiang Xuening realized that Xie Wei had deliberately provoked her, and she should never have lost her temper! Just those few sentences had undone all her efforts to maintain distance from him, rendering them completely futile!

But it was too late to correct her mistake.

That cunning Xie, with his old fox tactics, was too deep!!!

She gritted her teeth, her voice almost squeezed out from between them, word by word, “I’m fine. Goodbye.”

With that, she stepped out.

As she walked past Dao Qin and Jian Shu, she managed to keep her composure. But once she turned the corner and reached a place where no one could see her, she finally clutched her head, furious at herself for falling into Xie Wei’s trap due to her lack of patience. Overwhelmed with regret, she couldn’t help but let out a scream.

“Ahhhh—”

Sitting by the window, Xie Wei could vaguely hear her. Imagining her stomping her feet in frustration, he pressed a finger to his lips and couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Outside, Dao Qin and Jian Shu exchanged puzzled glances.

Xie Wei laughed for a while before gradually calming down. He raised his eyes to gaze at the snow-white, translucent window paper, where the shadows of the latticework cast faint patterns, leaving a few dark streaks in his eyes.

After a moment of silence, he frowned and said, “Jian Shu, find some cats.”

Not only Jian Shu but even Dao Qin felt a chill run down their spines!

Both of them stood frozen for a long moment.

Xie Wei, however, had already averted his gaze, lowering his eyes to conceal the fleeting ferocity. He pushed the qin in front of him aside and said indifferently, “Go.”

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