Chapter 55-Part 2

So, even though there were unidentified people following them, Jiang Xiurun wasn’t afraid.

After noticing the suspicious behavior, the guards exchanged glances, and two of them split off into the alleys to track down the followers. The remaining guards stayed on high alert, surrounding the carriage on all sides.

Not long after, up ahead, someone was chasing and beating a beggar who had stolen something. This attracted a crowd of fellow beggars, and a brawl broke out in the street. Although someone reported it to the authorities, it would take some time for the soldiers to arrive and arrest those involved. The street became blocked, and Jiang Xiurun’s carriage couldn’t move forward.

At that moment, the two groups began throwing stones at each other. A few stones veered off course and struck Jiang Xiurun’s carriage. One stone hit the horse on the head, causing it to panic and bolt forward.

The guards quickly leaped onto the carriage to help the driver rein in the horse. During this commotion, another stone landed inside the carriage, right in front of Jiang Xiurun.

She looked closely and saw that the stone was tied with a cloth. Qian’er, who was in the carriage with her, swiftly grabbed the stone and was about to throw it out.

Jiang Xiurun shouted, “Wait!”

Qian’er untied the cloth and handed it to Jiang Xiurun, revealing a line of bold, vigorous characters: “Xiuhe had divided; willing to keep secrets for you. Let’s meet at the teahouse tomorrow at noon.”

Jiang Xiurun recognized the handwriting as that of Liu Pei from the Liang State.

Her grandfather can be considered a thousand year old bastard, a ten-thousand-year-old turtle spirit. Not only did he not die from an arrow shot by the Crown Prince, but he also knew the secret of Jiang Xiurun pretending to be Jiang Herun and used it to blackmail her into meeting the person he sent.

The fact that such a note was casually tossed into the carriage, without the guards noticing, clearly showed that Liu Pei didn’t care about the consequences if Feng Liwu found out about it. Reflecting on this, Jiang Xiurun suddenly felt a chill run through her in the warmth of the carriage.

The cloth in her hand was a blatant threat, a sword drawn and held to her throat, leaving her with no choice but to comply.

But why, if Liu Pei knew about her true identity, did he not inform Feng Liwu? Why did he choose to blackmail her instead? What did she have that Liu Pei could exploit?

Jiang Xiurun’s mind turned quickly, and she intuitively knew that Liu Pei must be planning to use this to threaten her to submit and become a hidden chess piece lurking beside Feng Liwu.

Once in place, he could manipulate her to steal documents, poison, or even assassinate—all of which would be under his control. Each path was a plunge into a bottomless abyss…

With this realization, cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

In the midst of these chaotic thoughts, the carriage arrived at the gate of the hostage residence.

Wen Niang, as the lady of the residence, came out with her husband Jiang Zhi to welcome her brother-in-law.

Seeing the happiness on her brother’s face, Jiang Xiurun forced herself to suppress her inner fear, pretending that nothing was amiss. She said nothing about the incident on the way and merely instructed the attendants to unload the gifts from her carriage and present them to her brother and sister-in-law.

Though she appeared calm on the surface, her brother couldn’t help but notice that something seemed off about her.

Seizing a moment when his wife called for more food, Jiang Zhi quietly asked, “Is the food not to your liking? I noticed you didn’t eat much.”

Jiang Xiurun forced a smile and replied, “It’s nothing. I just have to visit my mentor, Master Mufeng, after this to deliver New Year’s gifts, and I might be quizzed on my studies, so I don’t have much of an appetite.”

Jiang Zhi suspected that his sister wasn’t telling the whole truth, but knowing her strong will, he doubted she would confide in him.

He then said, “I may be dull, but our mentor is a wise elder. If there’s something you can’t figure out, it might help to talk to him.”

After finishing the meal, Jiang Xiurun didn’t stay long. She quickly boarded the carriage and followed her original plan to visit Master Mufeng.

The mentor and student played a game of chess.

Perhaps prompted by her brother’s words, Jiang Xiurun earnestly asked her mentor, “If someone lies to save their life but is then caught and blackmailed into doing something even more dangerous, what should they do?”

Master Mufeng didn’t ask why his student posed such a question. Instead, he addressed her concerns as he would during a regular lesson.

Pointing to the chessboard, he said, “Chess reveals a person’s nature—their patience, foresight, and character are all laid bare in the game. Young Master Jiang, you’re a clever child. If you know you’ve made a wrong move and continuing would lead to a dead-end, why not break the pattern early and try something different? A lie is indeed regrettable, but exposing it is better than making an even greater mistake. Don’t you agree?”

Jiang Xiurun remained silent, simply staring at the black chess piece in her hand.

When she left her mentor’s home, Jiang Xiurun didn’t feel enlightened. Instead, she felt like someone facing their execution with grim determination. No matter what Liu Pei blackmailed her into doing, she couldn’t escape the fate of being a pawn discarded once it was no longer useful.

If she were alone, it wouldn’t matter if she risked everything to navigate a perilous path. But her brother’s peaceful, happy life had just begun—how could she drag him into a hopeless abyss?

She might not fully understand the depths of Liu Pei’s treachery, but she knew Feng Liwu well.

Setting aside the tangled debts of her past life, in this one, she had done Feng Liwu a favor. Though he was cold and detached, he wasn’t a heartless tyrant. Even if he resented her for deceiving him with her disguise, their past connection as colleagues might earn her some leniency. Besides, with Feng Liwu set to marry Jiang Xiuyao, he wouldn’t harm her innocent brother.

As for herself…whether she lived or died, she would leave it to Feng Liwu to decide.

Jiang Xiurun thought long and hard on the way back.

In the end, she decided to break the pattern and take a chance.

So, when she returned to the Crown Prince’s residence that night, she entered the Crown Prince’s study, clutching the cloth with Liu Pei’s handwritten message, and knelt firmly before Feng Liwu.

Feng Liwu was reading at his desk. He looked up at her and, in a calm tone, asked, “It’s late. What do you need?”

Jiang Xiurun took a deep breath and bowed her head to the ground. “There is something I have been hiding from Your Highness. The guilt weighs heavily on me, and I have come to confess my crime!”