Chapter 1449 – Nie Yang Forms an Alliance (1)
Until Wei Ci took his own life before the throne in his last life, he had no idea how the future Young Emperor Jiang Yan got entangled with Feng You.
Just look at Feng Zhen’s son Feng Yi, so young yet already tied to Changsheng; Feng You silently pledges to the Crown Princess—was this inherited too?
The thought made Wei Ci feel uneasy, his expression darkening further, his brows knitted tight enough to squash a mosquito.
Jiang Pengji asked, “Zixiao, are you recalling something unpleasant?”
Wei Ci replied, “The Young Emperor made a commitment to Feng You at the age of coming of age; it’s still distressing to think back on it.”
Yet, Wei Ci’s status meant he couldn’t challenge Feng You as a father; he couldn’t even show an extreme reaction. The Emperor turned a blind eye to their secret affair, but Wei Ci was worried about the potential harm to the Young Emperor, causing him countless sleepless nights.
Did the prince know the consequences of choosing Feng You? With Feng You’s impressive stature, he would surely become a high-ranking minister in the future—how could he allow… what if he regretted his reckless promises made in his youth?
Wei Ci couldn’t continue, as he was reminded of himself.
Jiang Yan was busy approving memorials, not even furrowing her brow. The Grand Tutor was being overly sensitive; she was the future ruler of the world—did she need to be constrained by a man? Mutual affection was enough; what more could Feng You desire? If he were to turn his heart one day, she would secretly arrange for him to meet his end. Royal secrets and imperial dignity cannot be tarnished; only death could keep one’s lips sealed.
Wei Ci was silent for a moment, then asked, was he truly content?
Jiang Yan looked puzzled, “Why wouldn’t he be? Behind the scenes, he is the Emperor’s man; in public, he is Feng’s second son—a powerful minister cherished by the Emperor. You gain some things and lose others. With all this, he must sacrifice some things too, like clan lineage and a normal marriage… If worse comes to worst, I can give him a son in the future and quietly bring him back to inherit the clan. The court simply can’t accommodate that much recklessness.”
Growing up in such an environment, Jiang Yan accepted this without a hint of resistance.
She was an uncrowned Young Emperor; the nation, court, and common people were her priorities, while matters of romance hardly weighed on her.
Jiang Yan understood that this would be very unfair for Feng You, but as she said, besides the proper title and marriage, Feng You would lose nothing.
Wei Ci asked, did Feng You agree to this?
Jiang Yan replied, “He brought it up himself; I found him quite perceptive. Besides, he was my childhood companion, well-known to me; it’s been convenient. Since I must continue the lineage, why not find someone pleasing, perceptive, and helpful? At least we don’t need to adjust to one another.”
Wei Ci sighed, noting that Feng You’s ability to gauge people’s hearts surpassed even his father’s.
He had truly understood Jiang Yan’s thoughts, willingly sacrificing for favor.
She enjoyed dealing with intelligent people; Feng You was quite adept and required little effort on her part. There were too many schemes in court; it’s rare to find someone willing to be completely honest in front of her—it’s a refreshing feeling. Jiang Yan replied lightly, “Grand Tutor needn’t worry about me being at a disadvantage. Even if Feng You understands my thoughts perfectly, that’s still something I allow him to see; he can’t overturn my palm.”
Wei Ci was at a loss for words, looking at Jiang Yan with a complex, profound gaze.
Strangely, he felt a tinge of sympathy for Feng You.
After hearing Wei Ci’s account, Jiang Pengji patted Wei Ci’s shoulder.
“Even though that kid spoke the truth, I can’t shake the feeling you’re hurt by her words several times over.”
Wei Ci: “…”
Reflecting carefully, indeed, Young Emperor Jiang Yan’s words were quite piercing.
Jiang Pengji said, “I find myself somewhat looking forward to this Jiang Yan.”
Wei Ci remarked, “It’s my failure for not fulfilling my responsibilities as a teacher and a father.”
Once a child who loved to smile, as she grew older, her expressions became increasingly stoic. From her coming of age until Wei Ci’s final moments, he hadn’t seen her smile again.
Jiang Pengji laughed without a care, “Different identities, different ways of living. If not so, how could one maintain control over the entire court filled with monsters? From your account, the political situation at the start of Jiang Zhao’s reign is rather severe, and how old was Young Emperor Jiang Yan when she ascended? If she didn’t harden her heart, the court would have descended into chaos long ago. It seems that Wen Zheng and Zishi are still biding their time; poor young Emperor feels the weight on her shoulders.”
Wei Ci contemplated, sighing, “What you say is true.”
His educational methods had been woefully inadequate; he had intended to raise Fushou as a carefree scholar, but ended up making a colossal mistake.
By his methods, if he made Young Emperor Jiang Yan overly bookish and pedantic, how could she maintain her seat on the dragon throne?
During their conversation, the entire live stream fell silent, as if everyone had collectively frozen.
If it weren’t for the audience avatars still lit up, Jiang Pengji might have thought the live stream had closed.
Stowaway Non-Money: “What did I just hear? Did that porcelain beauty just say ‘previous life’?”
Literary Genius Cangshi: “This must be a joke, right? Zixiao actually holds the script of a reincarnator?”
Eating Feet While Dining: “Today’s live stream is full of surprises; just now, I was so shocked my brain froze—Zixiao is actually the reincarnated male lead? But wait, shouldn’t a reincarnated lead be taking advantage of the opportunity to recruit troops and conquer the world?”
This script makes no sense!
Five hundred Dried Fish simultaneously felt confused. According to Wei Ci, the host was also an Emperor in their previous life?!
The host even had a daughter with Wei Ci, and this daughter was the future Empress, who seemed to have a high-cold, regal vibe?
Everyone couldn’t help but shake their heads, checking if their brains had been filled with water.
Yannir An: “Manual debt reveal! Zixiao, as the male lead, ends up with the script of a female lead. In his past life, he was frustrated and met a tragic end before the throne, but after reincarnating, he overcomes adversity, makes amends, and holds the female lead’s hand to rise to the pinnacle of life, then engraves his name in history. Oh my, this trope feels like something even the female-focused novels have written to death.”
Love Knocks at the Door: “Pfft, what does this mean? It means Zixiao, as a man, has a heart like a little princess.”
Otherwise, why would he be the ‘female lead’?
Mimi Goes to School: “I always thought the host was a Mary Sue; turns out… she’s actually a dragon who rules the sky, I’m coughing up blood!”
The Dried Fish group expressed that today’s twists were particularly terrifying—a group of seasoned drivers had flipped their cars in the bend.
Before the Buddha, One Bow Three Thousand Years: “Jiang Ao Tian x Mary Wei, I ship this cp, tears and all.”
Aside from the overwhelming comments, Jiang Pengji read the barrage on the screen, feeling particularly pleased.
Their time together was fleeting, and Jiang Pengji soon became busy again; the preparations for battle were nearing completion.
All that awaited was to summon and raise the flag, and the army could set off for war.
In another location, the travel-weary Yan Lin finally met the current leader of the Nie Clan, Nie Liang.
Yan Lin sought an alliance, and Nie Liang aimed to join the fray and carve out his share of Jiang Pengji’s territory—both parties clicked, and they signed an alliance.
