When a "Sea King" is Bound to a System [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 21

Jiang Yan only knew that an army returning triumphantly would have a grand presence, but she didn’t realize it would be this grand.

Just by being a step late, she was pushed back ten meters. The street was packed with people, all of them loudly discussing their female general.

Jiang Yan felt a sense of shared honor and proudly held her head high.

‘The General of War you’re talking about is my elder sister. We’re very close. We’ve even slept in the same bed.’

‘Arrogant.jpg.’

The first to enter the city was Jiang Chengsha. He had a more imposing and authoritative presence than he did three years ago.

The few second-in-commands by his side were all there, but Jiang Zhen was not.

The common people became even more eager, asking Jiang Chengsha in a flurry of questions why the female general wasn’t there.

Jiang Chengsha did not answer. He rode his horse toward the Imperial City. Wherever he passed, civil officials got out of their palanquins and military officials got off their horses, giving him great respect.

The common people waited a long time and still didn’t see Jiang Zhen. They slowly began to lose heart, guessing that perhaps the female general had already slipped away among the group of men without them knowing.

Jiang Yan was squeezed in the crowd, her neck sore from craning, but she couldn’t see Jiang Zhen.

She simply stepped out and squatted on the nearby steps.

Someone lightly tapped her head. She looked up and saw Yuan Zhao looking at her with a smile.

She had to admit that a handsome face was a little useful. At least she wasn’t so annoyed.

“So your beloved is in the army, and under my uncle’s command?”

Jiang Yan neither confirmed nor denied it, letting him guess for himself.

‘It’s too early to tell him now, since there’s no definite outcome yet.’

While the two of them were staring at each other, the crowd erupted.

Jiang Yan stood up in a flash and saw a high-quality horse with a dignified young general sitting on it, their eyes as bright as torches.

The general looked straight ahead, seemingly deaf to the cheers of the crowd, giving the impression of being alone even in such a noisy environment.

Jiang Yan understood. This feeling was loneliness.

She had been like this since the beginning.

She placed herself outside of the liveliness, calmly watching the joys and sorrows of others. As for herself, she seemed to have been born without emotions, indifferent to everything.

Jiang Yan really wanted to see her lose control.

The young general on the horse rode forward. When she reached a certain spot, she suddenly turned her head and glanced, catching a glimpse of a slender figure. The corner of her lips curved into a subtle smile.

‘But who is that man next to her?’

Jiang Zhen’s slightly elated mood immediately sank again. The smile on her face also disappeared.

At the same time, Jiang Yan received two system notifications.

[Ding! The target’s corruption value has decreased by ten. The current corruption value is ten. Please continue to work hard!]

[Ding! The target’s corruption value has increased by twenty. The current corruption value is thirty. Host, please don’t reverse the攻略 (strategy).]

The smile on Jiang Yan’s face froze. She hadn’t even had a chance to be happy yet, and now this?

‘What made Jiang Zhen so volatile on her first day back?’

‘A lack of humanity or a moral degradation?’

She looked up. Jiang Zhen’s back was straight, and she was looking forward, as if she hadn’t seen her at all.

Yuan Zhao followed her gaze, only to see a horse’s backside.

“Cousin, did you get to see your beloved?”

Jiang Yan sighed and turned to walk back.

The corruption value had increased instead of decreased. She was no longer in the mood to stand here in the hot sun waiting for Jiang Zhen.

After all, she still had to go to the palace to see the Emperor. She would probably be back in the evening. It was better to wait at home.

“Why are you so down?” Yuan Zhao leaned over and nudged her shoulder. “By the way, you still owe me a meal. No time is better than the present. Let’s go today.”

Yuan Zhao dragged Jiang Yan to the Qingfeng Tower. The two of them were a stark contrast, one eating heartily and the other unable to swallow.

Yuan Zhao ate his fill, wiped his mouth, and opened his fan. He once again looked like a flirtatious young master.

“Cousin, you’ll be of age in another six months. Has your beloved proposed to you yet?”

Jiang Yan poked the rice in her bowl absentmindedly. “No.”

“See? I told you he’s unreliable. There are very few handsome and devoted men like me, your cousin. You should cherish it when you find one. If you ask me, you should just give up on her and marry me.”

Jiang Yan gave him a cold look and sneered, “Please have some self-awareness. If you say something like that again, don’t come looking for me.”

Yuan Zhao laughed like a carefree gentleman, not getting angry at all. He followed Jiang Yan back to the General’s Manor, claiming it was to “visit Uncle.”

Jiang Yan couldn’t do anything about him and just let him follow her. When they entered the main gate, Yuan Zhao started acting mischievous again.

“Hey, Cousin, do you think if I asked for your hand in marriage from Uncle, he would agree?”

Jiang Yan was too lazy to talk to him and walked straight ahead. Yuan Zhao was still chattering non-stop.

“I think Uncle will definitely agree. After all, I’m handsome and have a good family background. Where else can you find a son-in-law this good?”

“Go on, go on, go ask. If my father agrees, I’ll marry you!”

Jiang Yan was so annoyed that she shouted in exasperation. As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Jiang Zhen standing not too far away.

She didn’t know how much she had heard, but her expression hadn’t changed at all. It was as cold as ever.

‘Oh no!’

Jiang Yan’s heart tightened. She quickly ran to Jiang Zhen and said with a smile, “Elder Sister, why are you back so early?”

Jiang Zhen looked past her at Yuan Zhao, her eyes dark. There seemed to be displeasure hidden in them.

“Did I interrupt you?” She asked Jiang Yan, her tone stiff.

Jiang Yan quickly said, “No, no. I’m just surprised His Majesty didn’t keep you. I forgot to introduce you. This is my cousin, Yuan Zhao, from the Prince of Xiangyang’s Manor.”

After she said that, she said to Yuan Zhao, “Cousin, this is my elder sister, Jiang Zhen.”

Yuan Zhao fanned himself and stared at Jiang Zhen for a moment. Then he patted Jiang Yan’s head, in a very intimate way, and whispered in her ear, “Cousin, I think I know who you like now.”

Jiang Yan’s body stiffened, but Yuan Zhao was in a great mood. He turned around and went into the main hall to find Jiang Chengsha.

Jiang Zhen let out a cold laugh and turned to walk to her own courtyard.

‘I was afraid this girl was getting impatient, so I ran back without even attending the royal banquet, but it turns out she doesn’t need my company at all.’

‘That Yuan Zhao, his expression was so ambiguous when he looked at her. He definitely has ill intentions.’

‘The two of them were so intimate, as if no one else was there. My rushing back seems like a joke.’

‘Heh, isn’t it just a joke?’

Jiang Yan felt like killing Yuan Zhao.

‘Just talk, why did you have to do it that way? Anyone who saw that would misunderstand.’

She chased after her and grabbed Jiang Zhen’s sleeve. Her voice was soft and sweet. “Elder Sister, don’t be angry. My cousin and I aren’t what you think we are.”

Jiang Zhen turned her head and looked at her coldly. The corners of her lips curled up in an unidentifiable sneer.

“Who you are with is your freedom. What does it have to do with me?”

Jiang Yan silently pulled her hand back, a bitter taste in her throat.

Although she was in the wrong first, saying something like that was too hurtful.

Seeing that she was silent, Jiang Zhen became even more certain of her thoughts. Her eyes grew colder, and even the air around her became colder.

“It seems you and that cousin of yours have been getting along very well for the past three years. It seems I’ve come back just in time to attend my little sister’s wedding.”