Chapter 63: You Are Also Part of the Jiang Family
Jiang Yingnan leaned against Chu Ziqian and continued:
“At that time, the Emperor hated Chu Weide to the bone because of Ah Jun’s death in battle. But between him and you, there wasn’t a deep blood feud, was there?
“If you could have refrained from interfering with his revenge on Chu Weide, he might not necessarily have snatched your position as Crown Prince!”
“However,” Chu Ziqian could only smile bitterly now. “How could I let him kill Ah De? That way, Mother would hate me for a lifetime.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yingnan felt a bit sour in his heart.
So in the final analysis, Chu Ziqian was still longing for his mother’s love.
To get his mother’s love, he had to oppose Chu Lianmo. And to oppose Chu Lianmo, he had to do things that harmed the people.
And precisely because he did those things, Chu Lianmo could not let him continue to be the Crown Prince.
Since then, the knot between the brothers had become a dead knot.
But is motherly love really something one must obtain in this life? What if that mother isn’t worthy at all?
Why must one become the kind of person one hates for this obsession?
“Ah Nan, you remember, right? I told you back then, my judgment was that even if the materials were swapped, the dam could last for two or three years. After I completely got rid of Chu Lianmo, I would rebuild the dam…
“It’s a pity my judgment was wrong.”
In fact, Chu Ziqian had felt deeply uneasy about this matter at that time, which was why he mentioned the dam and the account book to Jiang Yingnan. Jiang Yingnan was the only person in this world to whom he could confide his troubles.
“Alright, Ziqian. The mistake has been made; self-blame is useless now.” Jiang Yingnan comforted Chu Ziqian gently.
“…I’m sorry. I always make you comfort me.”
Chu Ziqian turned around and hugged Jiang Yingnan back. “Clearly, I have been hurting and failing you. I should be apologizing to you and making you happy every day.”
Jiang Yingnan smiled brightly. “No need to coax me. Being able to stay with you calmly and happily every day is already my greatest happiness.”
During this time, Jiang Yingnan had to admit he lived more peacefully and happily than ever before.
Seeing that Chu Ziqian was living peacefully every day with no plans to stir up trouble again, he often thought about whether to forgive Chu Ziqian completely and resume their relationship.
In all fairness, Chu Ziqian had always treated him well and could put him before anything—except dealing with Chu Lianmo for his mother’s sake.
Thinking of the relationship between Chu Ziqian and his mother, Jiang Yingnan also thought of his own mother.
Now he could see his father every day in court, but he hadn’t seen the rest of the Jiang family for a long time.
Only once did he rush back to the Jiang Residence during his father’s birthday banquet, but on that day everyone in the Jiang family was busy greeting guests, including Ruan Shi, so they didn’t have time to talk much with him.
Compared to Wen Yingying, his own mother could probably be considered a loving mother.
Jiang Yingnan suddenly missed his mother.
“Ziqian, tomorrow is a rest day, but I want to go back to the Jiang family, so I won’t accompany you.”
“Ah Nan, can I go with you?” Chu Ziqian tightened his hold on Jiang Yingnan’s arm. “I cherish all the time I can be with you now.”
Jiang Yingnan felt sweet in his heart. “Of course. But I thought you would hate seeing Father and the others.”
“Heh, to say I don’t mind your father facing me with weapons at all would be a lie. But since they are your family, I will try to let it go for your sake.”
“Thank you, Ziqian.”
“Then rest early.” Chu Ziqian kissed Jiang Yingnan lightly on the forehead.
Intelligent as Chu Ziqian was, how could he not notice that Jiang Yingnan’s attitude had completely softened?
If not for the fact that he had just lost his mother today, he would have reconciled with Jiang Yingnan right then and there.
That night, Chu Ziqian thought he would be sleepless all night, but feeling Jiang Yingnan’s body temperature in his arms, he fell asleep very quickly.
Early the next morning after breakfast, Jiang Yingnan and Chu Ziqian set off together towards the Jiang Residence.
Jiang Yingnan had sent a letter by pigeon first.
So when he arrived at the Jiang Residence, everyone who received the news was waiting for him in the central hall.
“Ah Nan!” Jiang Pingzhong was the first to welcome him excitedly. “Long time no see!”
“Ah Nan, you’re back.” Jiang Chengjin also walked over holding a two or three-year-old boy, instructing the boy, “Come, call him Third Uncle.”
“Hello, Third Uncle!” the boy called out crisply with a sweet smile at Jiang Yingnan.
Jiang Yingnan stared at that chubby, cute little face, somewhat lost in thought. When he left the Jiang Residence, his nephew was only a few months old, a baby in swaddling clothes. Now he could walk and talk.
Chu Ziqian, meanwhile, was thinking: This is the person I once threatened Jiang Chengjin with his life. He couldn’t help but feel rather awkward for a moment.
“Master Chu is here too.” Jiang Zhenxiong remembered he should greet Chu Ziqian, but didn’t know how to address him.
Chu Ziqian hurriedly said, “Uncle Jiang, no need to be polite. Just call me by my name.”
“…” Jiang Zhenxiong also felt awkward dealing with him, so he turned his gaze to Jiang Yingnan. “Nan’er, your mother is busy cooking your favorite dishes in the kitchen. She should be done soon.”
“Mother she… is cooking for me personally?” Jiang Yingnan felt both surprised and incredulous.
Jiang Zhenxiong smiled faintly. “I told you long ago your mother missed you dearly, but you didn’t believe it.”
As they were speaking, Ruan Shi walked over hurriedly, seemingly with some flour still on her hands, and said with a face full of joy, “Nan’er, you’re back! I made the Squirrel Fish you used to love. I don’t know if you still like it now.”
“Mother…” Jiang Yingnan looked at Ruan Shi with complex eyes. “I thought you had long forgotten me, your son.”
“Really, what kind of talk is that?” Ruan Shi gave a bitter smile. “Children are flesh fallen from a mother’s body; how could I forget just like that?”
“But when I was at home before, you didn’t like me,” Jiang Yingnan said softly with some grievance. He rarely spoke his heart to his mother before, but recently his sense of security had increased a lot, and he didn’t want to pretend with his closest kin anymore.
“Silly child, how could Mother not like you?” Ruan Shi wiped the flour off her right hand and reached out to rub Jiang Yingnan’s hair. “Mother was only strict before because I was afraid you would go astray. Now, although you haven’t been home for a long time, I often ask your father about you. He says you can now take charge and serve the country, and have reformed into a kind and upright person. This comforts Mother’s heart greatly. Besides…”
Ruan Shi paused and glanced at Chu Ziqian. “Now there is no one who can bully you. Mother doesn’t need to constantly remind you not to take the wrong path.”
At this time, Jiang Zhenxiong also spoke up. “Yes, Nan’er. Your mother was strict before out of worry for you.”
“Really?” Jiang Yingnan stared at his mother with red eyes. “Mother really never disliked me?”
“Sigh, if I really have to say there was any dislike, it was because I saw through your scheming and was afraid you would become a treacherous person in the future.” Ruan Shi’s expression became more serious. “Nan’er, do you remember that incident when you were seven?”
“When I was seven?” Jiang Yingnan was stunned. “What incident?”
“The incident where the Imperial Vase bestowed on the Jiang family was broken.”
Hearing the words “Imperial Vase,” Jiang Yingnan’s face instantly changed color.
“Seeing your reaction, Mother knows she guessed right.”
When Jiang Yingnan was seven, Emperor Chu Wen bestowed an expensive vase on the Jiang family to commend a meritorious official.
Resultingly, the vase was broken a few days later.
Near the broken vase was a jade pendant. This jade pendant belonged to Jiang Chengjin.
At that time, Jiang Chengjin was eight years old, exactly at the age where even cats and dogs would dislike him. He was exceptionally mischievous, either shooting birds with a slingshot or teasing servants all day, turning the Jiang Residence upside down. Combined with the jade pendant, Jiang Zhenxiong naturally assumed Jiang Chengjin had broken the vase.
However, Jiang Chengjin firmly denied it at the time, and also denied having been to the room where the vase was kept.
If he hadn’t been to the room, how could the jade pendant be lost there? Jiang Zhenxiong decided Jiang Chengjin was lying and beat him severely.
Actually, although it was an Imperial gift, Emperor Chu Wen gave many things to the Jiang family; he wouldn’t audit every item, nor would he punish the Jiang family for accidentally breaking a vase. Jiang Zhenxiong didn’t beat Jiang Chengjin for that, but for his dishonesty.
And Jiang Chengjin, who usually wailed and admitted his mistakes after a little beating, was particularly tough that day. It wasn’t until he really couldn’t hold out anymore that he admitted he broke the vase.
“Nan’er, the person who broke the vase was actually you, right? And you did it on purpose.”
“…Yes.” regarding a childhood matter from so many years ago, Jiang Yingnan had no need to lie anymore.
“There was such a thing? Hmm, seems there was…” As the person involved, Jiang Chengjin scratched his head with a bewildered look. “I can hardly remember.”
He was the Heir Apparent back then. While enjoying privileges, he also bore Jiang Zhenxiong’s stricter requirements. So although Jiang Zhenxiong was basically a loving father, he was relatively the one punished the most. At that particularly mischievous age, being beaten and scolded was a daily occurrence. Since he matured late, his memory of many things from that time was blurry.
“What?!” Jiang Zhenxiong was greatly shocked at this moment. “Nan’er broke the vase? Ah Ruan, how did you know? And why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Ruan Shi smiled bitterly. “Nan’er always blamed me for being biased, but he didn’t know I couldn’t rise above worldly customs and was just a mother shielding her shortcomings.”
“Jin’er was mischievous then, but he never denied the wrongs he did. So when I saw him acting out of character, I became suspicious.
“So I thought, who wanted to frame Jin’er the most? Who could break a vase and steal Jin’er’s jade pendant without leaving a trace? And who could even accurately estimate that Jin’er was not unyielding by nature and would admit fault if beaten a few more times?
“That would naturally be our smartest Nan’er.
“I went to secretly observe Nan’er’s expression then… As they say, ‘no one knows a son like his mother.’ Although Nan’er looked normal when his brother was being beaten, there was a faint strangeness between his brows.
“However, I had no evidence for this matter, after all, so I didn’t mention it to anyone. And I had my own selfishness, so I deliberately didn’t confirm it. I knew he did it to get more attention from you. How could I bear to let him lose his father’s love from then on? Rather, I would be stricter with him from then on, and let me play the villain.”
“Mother…” Hearing these words, Jiang Yingnan had mixed feelings in his heart. “So you have always been so painstaking for your son!”
If Ruan Shi had told Jiang Zhenxiong the truth back then, the one beaten would not have been Jiang Chengjin but Jiang Yingnan. For such a major mistake as deliberately framing a brother, Jiang Zhenxiong would certainly have punished him severely. Jiang Yingnan, who seemed gentle and docile but was actually sensitive and held grudges, would inevitably have had a rift in his relationship with his father.
That they could be a loving father and filial son for so many years was thanks to Ruan Shi’s thoughtfulness, yet it made Jiang Yingnan believe she was a biased mother.
“Heh…” Hearing this story, Chu Ziqian suddenly chuckled. “Ah Nan, you knew how to scheme against your brother at seven, and I decided to start hating my brother at nine. Tell me, aren’t we a match made in heaven?”
Jiang Yingnan couldn’t help smiling bitterly hearing this.
Indeed, it was precisely because he and Chu Ziqian could understand each other’s dark sides that they attracted each other and grew closer.
But he only hoped they could walk in the sunlight from now on, abandoning those dirty thoughts.
“Fortunately, now that we’ve talked things out, Father, Mother, my two brothers and I can surely live in harmony from now on… Ziqian,” Jiang Yingnan sensed that seeing his family harmony might make Chu Ziqian feel sour, so he comforted him timely, “From now on, you are also part of the Jiang family.”
“I would be delighted.” Chu Ziqian revealed a most happy smile.
Jiang Zhenxiong and Ruan Shi looked at each other, both sighed silently, and had to accept their son’s choice for the time being.
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