She Is Such A Jerk, And Yet She’s The One Crying! - Chapter 43

“My son is filial; my son is finally filial…” Jiang Weilan lay upon a drunken-recliner, enjoying the shoulder and back massage provided by Zhang Lihan, while constantly lamenting that his son had finally recovered his sanity.

When Qiang Ning and Lin Dongruan entered, this was the scene that greeted them. Lin Dongruan’s expression instantly grew somber, and she looked toward Jiang Weilan with deep concern—Qiang Ning also looked at Lin Dongruan beside her.

According to reason, Jiang Weilan should have followed instructions and brought Zhang Lihan to see Lin Dongruan earlier. However, so much time had passed, and the man remained unmoved. Had he simply not listened, or did he not take the matter seriously at all?

Jiang Weilan waved his hand and spoke to the now-lucid Zhang Lihan: “Go on, go to that room and light a stick of incense for your mother.”

Lin Dongruan wanted to offer a word of restraint, but after a moment of silence, she allowed Zhang Lihan to leave her sight.

“That winter, Nianci was gravely ill; her hands and feet could never be warmed. A fortune teller said that if my son’s name were changed to pray for his mother’s longevity, she might be saved. Thus, he was renamed ‘Lihan’ Leaving Cold. Who would have thought that Nianci would still depart this world? We couldn’t keep her; we simply couldn’t keep her…” The County Governor, Jiang Weilan, who was over fifty years old, stood up dejectedly. He looked at his withered fingers with a expression that was half-smile and half-sob. “Yesterday, after Lihan took the antidote, he suddenly ceased to be mad. He washed clothes, chopped wood, and cooked with his own hands without summoning any servants. He was just as obedient and filial as he was when he was a child.”

“This is not a good sign,” Lin Dongruan’s tone was slightly cold. “Why did you not come to see me in a timely manner? After taking the medicine, whether for better or worse, the young master’s illness should not have been delayed like this.”

Jiang Weilan waved his hand, gave a bitter smile, covered his face, and whispered: “I thank the Imperial Preceptor for your great kindness, but… there is no need.”

Qiang Ning was startled. She had never seen such a look of tragic grief on Jiang Weilan’s face—a shrewd County Governor, an official who had spent half his life as a political puppet, was also an aging father who loved his son as much as his own life.

In the years following the death of his beloved wife and the descent of his eldest son into madness, no one knew how he had endured every single day and night. Qiang Ning looked at his face; it was haggard and aged. Heavy sorrow was etched into the downward curves of his mouth. The piercing glint of his usual shrewdness had faded, leaving only a chaotic, muddy exhaustion.

“If we attempt to save him now, there might still be some hope,” Lin Dongruan said, looking at Jiang Weilan. “If you continue to delay, I fear the young master will…”

“When my son was young, everyone praised him for having the noble air of a gentleman. Whether it was the elders of the family or the servants of the manor, everyone was full of praise. Who would have thought…” Recalling the past, a bitter smile touched the corners of Jiang Weilan’s mouth. “Lihan was unfortunate. He became mad and lost all the dignity of his former years.”

Lin Dongruan could only offer her condolences.

“That day at the market, my son offended Your Highness and yourself. It was truly the act of a madman who knew no etiquette. If he were not mad or foolish, he would surely be a warm and gentle man; how could he bully others in public?” Jiang Weilan gritted his teeth, consumed by anger. “I hate it. I hate that I took Lihan to see the late Emperor. I hate my own incompetence—I couldn’t keep Nianci, and I couldn’t keep Lihan. But… today, my Lihan has finally returned.”

Jiang Weilan slowly raised his gaze to look at the two women before him.

“Your Highness, Imperial Preceptor.” His eyes contained the painstaking efforts of many years. He spoke from the bottom of his heart: “This old man wants to cure Lihan, but not so that he may prolong his life in madness. I want him to be completely awake, to be able to control his own words and deeds. If he cannot be cured, then merely granting him a hollow lifespan is not a mercy—it is harming him! It is harming him! My Lihan has been trapped within this walking corpse, watching himself do foolish and wrong things with his own eyes. How painful and unbearable that must be! He should live with meaning and ambition; he should serve the country and the people, and be a gentleman of justice and conscience… rather than a profligate scoundrel for all these years.”

“No matter what choice you make, the young master will not blame you,” Lin Dongruan said with respect in her voice. “The heart of a parent is profound. You have already done your utmost. In the young master’s remaining days, he will surely be filled with gratitude.”

“This old man knows the Imperial Preceptor’s medical skills are superb, but this time, I refuse the Imperial Preceptor’s kindness on behalf of my son. Let go, let him go, so that he no longer has to suffer in this world.” Jiang Weilan looked toward the room where his wife’s memorial tablet was placed with painful restraint. Inside that room was also his eldest son, who was nearing death.

The white-haired man was seeing off the black-haired youth. Aside from his eldest son, Jiang Weilan had two daughters who were already married off, and they did not live nearby.

Thinking of this, Qiang Ning said: “This Princess will have the two of them return to Sanqi often. I also hope that you, my dear official, can put aside your sorrow as soon as possible.”

“Your Highness bestows grace, and although I appreciate it, there is no need to mention it to my daughters.” Jiang Weilan looked at the vast County Governor’s manor with self-deprecation. Although there were many people, it still felt desolate and lonely. “Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes; why let them worry for this old man? I am already half-buried in the earth; there is nothing I cannot see through. Besides… it seems I am destined not to keep my children by my side. I am meant to be alone for a lifetime. There is no need to cause them trouble.”

“More nonsense.” Qiang Ning really didn’t know if he had been pretending for so long that he had begun to deceive himself. “Children, cats, dogs, steeds—which of these do you not love? When you snatched the beloved horse this Princess favored, you also claimed you didn’t like it. Who would have thought you would strike so swiftly? Even I was caught off guard.”

Jiang Weilan: “…”

Lin Dongruan: “…”

“Solitude is bitterness; being alone makes one feel that life is miserable. You have been devoted to your late wife all these years and had no intention of remarrying. Your daughters have left home, and you are the only one left in this manor. You’ll eventually grow ill from boredom.” Qiang Ning immediately issued a command: “There is a young girl by my side, just at the age of seven or eight, who doesn’t even have a place to study. I might as well send her to you. You shall take her as an adopted daughter and cultivate and teach her well.”

Jiang Weilan remained quiet and said nothing.

Seeing this, Lin Dongruan tried to dissuade Qiang Ning: “If the County Governor has no heart to adopt a daughter, Ruoruo will feel uncomfortable if she comes. It would be better to leave her in Wusang Town.”

Qiang Ning glanced at Jiang Weilan and added: “She was not fathered by this Princess. You need not be afraid.”

Only then did the old fox Jiang Weilan breathe a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and he accepted the favor.

Lin Dongruan: “…”

Qiang Ning explained to Lin Dongruan: “Don’t even think about it; I knew he had let his mind wander to some inappropriate place again.”

“County Governor Jiang is Your Highness’s trusted high official. Presumably, because Your Highness had someone by your side in those previous years, the County Governor would speak thus.” Lin Dongruan’s tone was indifferent, but her expression appeared somewhat distant. “If there is a child, calculating the time, there must have been a bed-partner many years ago.”

Qiang Ning felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She couldn’t understand why Lin Dongruan would think in that direction. She was truly wronged. It was all the fault of this Jiang Weilan, whose head was filled with nothing good; with one sentence, he had pinned a huge, messy label on her. How was she supposed to explain?

Qiang Ning looked at Jiang Weilan fiercely, signaling for him to explain.

Jiang Weilan, however, assumed the posture of bowing to see off guests: “Imperial Preceptor, Your Highness, please take care on your way out. This old man’s heart is heavy with grief; I shall go now to accompany my son, Lihan.”

Qiang Ning: “…”

Fine, Jiang Weilan, you are capable indeed. You still remember the grudge from snatching the horse a few days ago.

As soon as he said this, Qiang Ning had no time to explain. She watched helplessly as Lin Dongruan walked away coldly without even a word of reply, showing just how angry she was.

Qiang Ning hurriedly chased after her to try and stop her.

Jiang Weilan shouted loudly from behind with great malice: “Your Highness, as my family affairs are pressing these few days, I shall not go to pay my respects.”

In human terms, he wanted to spend the final period of time with his son and did not wish to be disturbed. Of course, this also meant he had no intention of helping his Princess explain herself.