Waiting for You for a Long Time, But You Haven't Arrived - Chapter 2

She’s Not That Important

Jiang Qionghua had someone serve fresh tea. The lingering fragrance felt out of place against the coldness of the prison cell.

“Grand Commandant Yang hasn’t breathed his last yet. I’ll spare his life for you. You’ve been acquainted, so go send him off,” Jiang Qionghua said, lowering her gaze to skim the floating tea leaves with the lid. “Bolu, give her the knife.”

Bolu, the Chief Steward of the Chancellor’s residence, respectfully stepped forward and presented a heart-gouging dagger.

“This knife is not yet sharpened. After you personally end Grand Commandant Yang, I will forgive you—the quarrel from last night will be completely forgotten,” Jiang Qionghua handed the knife to Ming Yishu. “From now on, this knife is a gift to you. Thin blade, short handle, it’s very suitable for killing and gouging out hearts.”

…Killing.

Ming Yishu instantly dropped the knife as if it were burning hot. She averted her gaze, not daring to even look at the weapon.

She was born in the real world, raised in a peaceful and tranquil country, and had never done anything like killing. Forget killing a person; she didn’t even dare to kill a fish with her own hands.

“Aunt, I can’t.”

Firstly, she didn’t want Grand Commandant Yang to die, and secondly, was her fear.

Jiang Qionghua set down her teacup with a slight sound and looked up, forcing her. “This knife is quick, and killing will be clean. Yang Bofu has no guard against you; it is a mercy to him for you to kill him… Of course, if you still don’t dare, then I will have him executed by slow slicing, and you can watch from the side to build up your courage.”

Slow slicing (lingchi)?

Hearing the somewhat unfamiliar term, Ming Yishu first froze, then a chill ran deep through her bones.

The person standing before her had never seemed so unfamiliar, and Ming Yishu instinctively took half a step back in fear.

Jiang Qionghua forcefully placed the knife in her hand. “I know you have some friendship with Yang Bofu. Now I am granting you the favor of sending him off for the last time.”

With the words spoken, Ming Yishu knew the other party was not joking.

“You have always listened to me, knowing what should be done and what should not. This time, don’t be foolish, and don’t make me angry.” Jiang Qionghua stepped closer and gently straightened her collar. “Go. I will wait here for you for the duration of a single cup of tea.”

Seeing no escape, Ming Yishu’s heart palpitations surged again, like someone poking her heart with a needle, causing agonizing pain.

“Don’t pretend to be sick,” Jiang Qionghua said. “My patience is limited. When the time for one cup of tea is up, even if Grand Commandant Yang still has a breath in him, he will still be dragged out and slowly sliced.”

The time for one cup of tea was very short.

Just as Jiang Qionghua set down her teacup, she suddenly heard a commotion deep inside the prison cell. People were shouting, “Fire!” and several jailers rushed out, only to hurriedly return with water to douse the flames.

Thick smoke billowed from the depths of the prison.

Jiang Qionghua stood up. “She’s still inside.”

“Put out the fire! Quickly!”

“Save lives!”

“Open the doors—”

“Don’t let anyone escape!”

“The people locked inside haven’t been brought out yet. Where are the keys? Hurry and unlock the doors.”

The people imprisoned in the jail were not peddlers or commoners but those charged with serious crimes, most of whom had held high positions before being stripped of power. They should not have died mysteriously in a fire here.

Although they were guilty, if they died carelessly, the combined lives of the prison guards wouldn’t be enough to compensate.

“All of you, go find her!” Jiang Qionghua’s expression was grave, a hint of indescribable anxiety mixed with her concern. She grabbed a passing jailer and ordered, “Let those scoundrels die if they die, don’t waste time on them. Everyone, go save Ming Yishu. If she is injured, none of you will live.”

The Chancellor Jiang’s order was naturally more important now. Everyone immediately had a clear objective and ran deeper into the smoke.

Jiang Qionghua gripped the corner of the table, feeling an unknown panic.

…She had never been this nervous before.

“Chancellor, fire doesn’t discriminate. You should go outside,” the chief steward Bolu stepped forward and earnestly advised. “Miss Ming will be fine.”

Jiang Qionghua pinched her temples, subconsciously preparing for the worst, but just as she was about to speak and refute, she hesitated.

She feared speaking a prophecy, so she simply stayed silent.

“I am not leaving,” Jiang Qionghua pointed to a man and instructed. “Have a few people guard the exit. Anyone who tries to escape, just kill them. There’s no need to report.”

Bolu: “Then…”

Jiang Qionghua’s eyes were calm: “I will wait for her here.”

The prison was choked with thick smoke, increasing the anxiety. Ming Yishu still hadn’t come out.

After a short while, a jailer rushed over and said, “Chancellor, Yang Bofu escaped.”

“Escaped?” Jiang Qionghua said coldly. “With all those injuries, how could he possibly escape?”

Having killed many, Jiang Qionghua was familiar with many tricks. This fire was likely set to help Yang Bofu escape.

The jailer tentatively asked, “Miss Ming hasn’t come out yet. Chancellor, wouldn’t you want to send people to look for her?”

Jiang Qionghua was dismissive. She sat back down, her expression unreadable.

Just as the jailer was about to say more, his chest suddenly glowed bright. He looked down numbly—the Right Chancellor’s subordinate had stabbed him at some point, interrupting his sentence.

Jiang Qionghua said flatly, “You were thinking—my people were all busy saving Ming Yishu, so your Grand Commandant could get away, right?”

The jailer had already fallen to the ground, his eyes unfocused, staring toward the depths of the prison.

“What a good show. Unfortunately—” The fire grew larger, and Jiang Qionghua stood up simultaneously. “She is not that important to me.”

Years of excessive protection had indeed fooled these people. Everyone thought Ming Yishu was her weakness, and that they could use her to restrain Jiang Qionghua.

She had kept Ming Yishu in the Chancellor’s residence for so many years. Thinking about it, the benefits were considerable. Firstly, she could take revenge in the future, settling the hatred from the past enemy. Secondly, she could keep a docile pet for amusement and entertainment. Thirdly, she could confuse those hiding in the dark, leading them to target Ming Yishu.

Jiang Qionghua thought that it was just a long-running, premeditated charade. All she had to do was make these people believe it.

All the favoritism and doting were just pretense.

For instance, didn’t this test prove it?

How ridiculous.

“Chancellor, the fire is too big. Please leave quickly,” the old servant Bolu stepped up anxiously to persuade her. “You truly cannot wait any longer.”

Jiang Qionghua’s thoughts were interrupted. She frowned and looked toward the depths of the prison, subconsciously wondering—why hasn’t she come out yet?

Bolu led her a few steps but suddenly paused and muttered, “No, no, Miss Ming… Chancellor, I dare to speak frankly: are you really not going to send people to search for our young lady?”

She impatiently walked a few steps, waved her hand, and said helplessly, “Fine, all of you, go search for her.”

Even if it was a scheme, she was confident she could still kill Yang Bofu. There was no need to prematurely use Ming Yishu as a pawn because of such a boring plot.

The people under the Chancellor were ultimately more effective than the prison guards. Before long, Ming Yishu was found and brought out.

Jiang Qionghua rushed over and saw Ming Yishu being weakly supported. Her eyes were full of the fragility of a near-death experience. She was tightly protecting something in her arms, and even though her clothes were smoke-stained, she held it tightly.

Remembering how she had just been tricked, Jiang Qionghua’s gaze turned cold, tinged with a hint of suspicion. She pulled her arm away and forcefully took the object she was protecting.

—It was the knife Jiang Qionghua had given her moments ago.

Despite the raging fire inside, this heart-gouging dagger hadn’t been touched by a single speck of ash.

Jiang Qionghua was a little surprised, a sudden, indescribable feeling rising in her heart. She asked, “Why are you protecting a knife?”

Ming Yishu explained, “It was given by Aunt. I dared not lose it.”

Jiang Qionghua: “Did you kill the man?”

Ming Yishu nodded.

“Good.”

As someone who frequently lived by the sword, Jiang Qionghua could tell at a glance that the knife had not been stained with a drop of blood. But she didn’t feel deceived. After all, this foolish girl was carefully protecting the knife, likely unable to bring herself to use something her benefactor had given her to kill.

Perhaps she was lying about the kill because she was afraid Jiang Qionghua would blame her.

Jiang Qionghua didn’t blame her.

Emerging safely was a good enough result.

“Do you still have strength?” Looking at the slightly trembling Ming Yishu before her, Jiang Qionghua didn’t even realize her voice had softened. “Aunt won’t force you to kill again. Don’t be afraid.”

Ming Yishu nodded, looking at her with complete reliance.

Jiang Qionghua stroked her hair and supported her as they walked out.

However, just a few steps later, a sudden incident occurred—

The old, dilapidated prison, unable to withstand the turmoil, had a small horizontal beam where they were walking. It was already loose and had now been scorched by the fire, causing it to fall just then.

As Jiang Qionghua felt a rush of air and was about to look up, she sensed something dropping.

None of the highly skilled guards present reacted as quickly as Ming Yishu, the injured person. In a moment of crisis, Jiang Qionghua smelled a comforting fragrance. The girl beside her swiftly protected her head with her arm, preventing the block of wood from smashing into her.

Ming Yishu’s arm was struck, but she didn’t utter a sound. She merely clutched her arm in pain, drawing a silent sharp breath.

“Let me see—”

Jiang Qionghua pulled up her sleeve.

The other’s arm was as white and clean as warm jade, almost dazzling in the dim light of the prison. Jiang Qionghua’s eyes darkened, seeing the spot that was hit already bruised and purple.

She was so fragile that a touch would leave a mark.

Jiang Qionghua reprimanded her, “I have so many guards following me. They aren’t dead. Why would you, an injured person, have to step in and block that for me?”

Ming Yishu didn’t think much of it. She simply pursed her lips and smiled faintly at her.

In a trance, Jiang Qionghua found the girl somewhat childish, despite being injured, she looked as if she was seeking praise.

Did she think she had blocked that hit for her well?

Jiang Qionghua’s mood was complicated: “Are you an idiot?”

Following this incident, the guards came forward to beg for punishment, and Bolu also came to the pair. He said, “It happened so suddenly just now. If it hadn’t been for Miss Ming, the guards might really not have been able to shield you in time.”

Jiang Qionghua didn’t know what to say. She sighed helplessly, “What nonsense are you talking about? How could the frail Yishu react faster than my guards?”

Bolu: “Miss Ming’s eyes are constantly on you, Chancellor. Since you are in her heart, her gaze naturally follows you. It is only reasonable that she reacted first.”

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