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墨書 Inktalez
Jiang Yating sat upright in the tea room, feeling a sense of emptiness between her red lips, her heart slowly drifting far away, galloping over thousands of mountains.
Jiang Shaohao quietly watched his daughter from a distance, momentarily taken aback. He had never seen her looking so lost and wistful. Suddenly realizing something, he moved to sit directly across from her.
Her eyes were slightly glazed with intoxication, and the wine glass before her was empty, reflecting the fleeting nature of youth. He frowned and reproached her sternly, "Why have you drunk so much?"
She was momentarily stunned; her father's voice brought her back to reality. Looking at the sky that had turned crimson with the setting sun, she smiled faintly, "Congratulations, Dad. The plan was successful."
"Hmph." Jiang Shaohao snorted coldly, observing her not-so-genuine smile. "I always felt that you and Zhu Yefeng wouldn't be able to eliminate Shangguan Shaoyi smoothly, so I kept a backup plan. Your mother said I was being overly cautious, but it seems my vigilance paid off."
"Indeed." She nodded as the flowing clouds drifted across the sky, casting the last rays of sunlight in her gaze. Originally, she had teamed up with Zhu Yefeng to eliminate Shangguan Shaoyi, but unexpectedly, that cup of wine was mistakenly consumed by Cheng Mo, and Shangguan Shaoyi remained vigorous on the battlefield. Although the plan had failed, a subtle joy lingered in her heart.
What she did not expect was that her father had privately instructed several generals in the army. Those generals did not follow Shangguan Shaoyi's military orders, resulting in heavy losses for his troops during this campaign and a retreat in defeat.
A calculating smile played at the corners of Jiang Shaohao's mouth. "Shangguan Lin still wants to compete with me; I advise him to give up on that idea as soon as possible. With these consecutive setbacks, he has lost the morale of his troops and likely his own confidence as well. Although I couldn't eliminate him, I have made it impossible for his wife to regain consciousness. Now he is already in disarray and cannot rise again. Shangguan Lin is now firmly in my grasp!"
She responded softly, feeling a gnawing unease in her heart.
Jiang Shaohao scrutinized her expression and fell silent for a moment before asking, "You don't actually like that kid, do you?"
"No." She denied it vehemently. She had never understood what it meant to like someone and would never feel such emotions, especially not for someone like Shangguan Shaoyi who had fallen so low.
Raising an eyebrow, she let the mist in her eyes dissipate like purple fog. She smiled and said, "Dad, now that Shaoyi is so vulnerable, do you want to completely crush him or control him so that he can be used by us?"
Jiang Shanghao smiled faintly, "Not long ago, I had to defeat him, and now he is naturally to be used by me. His confidence has nearly collapsed; this is the best time to take control of him. Yating, think carefully about how Shangguan Lin is different from when you first met him a few years ago."
She pondered for a moment and came to a conclusion, "When I first saw him, his eyes were filled with disdain and contempt for you. At that time, he was extremely eager for power. Later, he helped us and sent troops into the interior; you gave him the title of Marshal of Land, Sea, and Air, but he was still not satisfied. After Feng Province fell, it seemed he became a different person, only wanting to reclaim his former territory without any desire to expand into new lands. His attitude towards us changed from hostility to indifference; as long as we did not provoke him, he would not attack us."
"Exactly." Jiang Shanghao nodded in agreement, a glimmer of curiosity flashing in his eyes. "You understand him well."
Jiang Yating's heart raced violently, but she dismissed it casually, "Knowing oneself and knowing the enemy ensures victory in every battle."
"Very good. If your brother were as serious as you are, I would have much less to worry about." Jiang Shanghao sighed. "Do you know what caused Shangguan Lin's rapid change?"
Jiang Yating shook her head, her knuckles pressing against the armrest of the chair, turning pale from the force. These small details did not escape Jiang Shanghao's eyes; he smiled and continued, "It's because of Cheng Mosu."
"Cheng Mosu?"
"Yes. My informants tell me that when Cheng Mosu returned to his side, she seemed to have been captured by the Japanese. He went alone to rescue her, risking his life for her. I believe at that moment, all those ambitions and desires for power were cast aside. After all, someone who nearly died will inevitably change after being reborn." Jiang Shanghao took a sip of tea and spoke slowly, "Just like the current Shangguan Lin; he must only be thinking about reclaiming Feng Province so that he can honor his father and his brothers who fought alongside him."
She was stunned, her heart swirling with anguish. His silence and lack of interest seemed to completely fade away in front of Cheng Mosu. She remembered the first time she saw him; he was drunk, sitting in the corner of a room murmuring Cheng Mosu's name. That was the only time she saw his vulnerability. As she slowly approached him, she saw the letter tightly clutched in his hand; Aoi's writing expressed tenderness with a calm yet powerful sentence that struck deep into her heart.
Longing to grow old together, wishing to share armor with you.
His gaze seemed to have seen through the vast seas; his smile seemed to transform past encounters.
"Yating." Her father's voice pulled her back from her thoughts. "I want to find someone to arrange a marriage with Shangguan Lin in order to better control him. I already have someone in mind: your cousin."
She was taken aback and hurriedly said, "What do you mean cousin? Dad, you don't believe me anymore?"
"It's not that I don't believe you." Jiang Shaohao quietly observed her. "You've lost your rationality when it comes to Shangguan Lin, and I can't take that risk."
"Dad! I won't let you down." Jiang Yating clenched her delicate fingers into a fist. She didn't even know why she was so insistent, perhaps it was simply because she didn't want to part ways with him hastily.
She looked at Jiang Shaohao's eyes, which were slightly shining, knowing that her father was deep in thought. She bit her lip and looked at him with a hint of expectation. He slowly directed his gaze at her. "Yating, how can you prove it?"
"I..." She lowered her gaze, her delicate brows like willow leaves, her lips like red plums. "Dad, I will first eliminate the obstacle that is Cheng Mo Su. She's lying in bed right now; although the doctor says she won't wake up again, one can never be too sure. I will make sure she completely disappears from this world, allowing Shaoyi's heart to belong solely to me. At that time, Dad, you can control him however you want."
A slight curve appeared at the corner of Jiang Shaohao's mouth, barely noticeable unless one looked closely. He stood up, adjusted his tie, and smiled. "Is that so? Then I'll be waiting for your good news."
"Mm." She nodded and watched her father leave. She felt as if all the energy had been drained from her body and collapsed onto the chair. The remnants of the murky wine before her seemed to remind her to regain her rationality, but the exquisite moonlight outside told her what emotions truly were.
She shook her head, casting aside the distractions in her heart. No matter what, her first step was to make Cheng Mo Su disappear—completely vanish—so that Shaoyi would forget that such a person ever existed!
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