The seductive princess is no longer being pursued; the aloof prime minister is facing a crematorium.

Chapter 237 I will present it to you countless times

How can they be the same?

How could they be the same?

That was the sword she gave him.

This broken sword had accompanied her through countless bloody battles, and now she was giving it to him.

He would not give this broken sword to anyone but her.

Jiang Jinshuang looked at Yan Jue, her brows softening: "That Yan Jue, if one day I wish to pick up this sword again—"

Before Jiang Jinshuang could finish speaking...

The next second, the sword that was originally at Yan Jue's waist was drawn, and he presented it to her with both hands, scabbard and all.

Jiang Jinshuang stared at the seven-tenths broken sword, stunned.

Yan Jue: "I will present it to you countless times, just like I am doing now."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jinshuang lowered her eyes and smiled.

She raised her hand, her fingertips tracing the beautiful and delicate patterns on the scabbard and hilt.

A glint flashed in her eyes, and countless memories surged through her mind.

—Yan Jue was right, this sword did accompany her for a very, very long time.

This was the sword that General Ruiyang used when he fought on the battlefield.

People say that the God of Slaughter, Ruiyang Wang, is invincible, firstly because of his mask, and secondly because of this long sword that seems to be a gift from the gods.

The longsword of yesteryear is now covered with the marks of time and the elements. As Jiang Jinshuang's fingertips trace the blade, she can almost feel the sword's hum and vibration.

His gaze held a hint of lingering affection.

fleeting.

The next second, Jiang Jinshuang removed her hand from the sword and looked at Yan Jue again.

"Okay, if one day I really need it, I'll come to you to get it."

Yan Jue nodded.

After finally comforting the little wolf cub, Jiang Jinshuang felt completely exhausted.
She decided to bury Si Ning sometime.

This bastard.

After Yan Jue left, Jiang Jinshuang picked up the books on the stone table again and went into the bedroom.

After lighting the candles, Jiang Jinshuang sat on the chaise lounge, opened the scrolls, and began to read about the procedures for holding official banquets.

Jiang Jinshuang doesn't actually like reading much.

That's not entirely accurate. It's not that she didn't like reading, but rather that she found books on female virtues and precepts extremely boring.

As a teenager, she learned things very quickly. Jiang Biechen might need time to understand the obscure and difficult language spoken by the Grand Tutor, but Jiang Jinshuang could understand it very quickly.

Even so, Jiang Jinshuang didn't find it interesting; she never thought reading was a particularly interesting thing.

She said she could quickly understand even those "martial arts manuals" or military strategies and apply them to other situations.

The first time I found reading interesting was because of Pei Du.

Pei Du always seemed to find reading interesting.

To spend more time with him, Jiang Jinshuang would sometimes pick up a book and sit next to Pei Du, reading it leisurely.

Sometimes, Pei Du would ask her what she was looking at.

At first, Jiang Jinshuang pretended to be reserved and showed him the book of female virtues and precepts she was holding.

—It was all an act; she couldn't bear to read a single word.

Pei Du frowned slightly upon seeing this.

Jiang Jinshuang thought that Pei Du had realized she wasn't actually watching, which was why he frowned and got angry.

But the man reached out, snatched the book from Jiang Jinshuang's hand, and threw it aside.

"There's no need to look at these."

Jiang Jinshuang was stunned, and for a moment she didn't know how to react. She used to not care about these things, and whenever the Grand Tutor saw them, he would always glare at her and scold her.

The Grand Tutor always said that a woman should be gentle, dignified, reserved, and self-reflective. She should not be jealous, and she should never speak loudly.

Now, the young Pei Du of that time took the rules from her hands and threw them on the ground.

"There's no need to look at these."

He said so.

Jiang Jinshuang blinked, and after a long while, she finally came to her senses.

She curved her eyebrows and her eyes sparkled: "Young Master Pei, if I don't consider these things, how can I be a good wife to you in the future?"

I was just teasing him.

Upon hearing this, Pei Du did not blush or feel ashamed. Instead, he looked at Jiang Jinshuang seriously, his eyes clear and bright.

"Women in this world already have it hard enough; they don't need such objects to discipline them."

Jiang Jinshuang's smile faded slightly. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Pei Du with a more serious expression.

The man stood tall and straight, his face as handsome as jade: "Besides, a woman is not born to be a wife to any man."

"The world is hard, and women have it harder. If a husband cannot understand his wife's hardships, how is he any different from a beast?"

At that time, Pei Du seemed just like when we first met, a poor but noble young man standing among countless literati, engaging in a debate with them.

At that time, he said, "Those who carry firewood for the masses should not be left to freeze to death in the wind and snow."

Just like now, he looked at her with clear eyes and a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant: "Women have it tough, they don't need such things to discipline them."

Even now, Jiang Jinshuang believes that Pei Du will always be seen as upright, honest, and incorruptible in her mind.

Pei Du was well-versed in the classics since childhood, and Pei Du always liked to call him rigid and laugh at his dullness.

But her so-called rigidity and dullness are by no means pedantry or stubbornness.

As a man, he could understand the hardships and difficulties women faced in life, and he dared to say with such certainty that women were not born to become anyone's wife.

Jiang Jinshuang felt that perhaps that was why, even though Pei Du didn't end up with her, she found it difficult to slander such a person.

He is indeed a very good person.

After that, Jiang Jinshuang never brought those books to Pei Du again.

She would still read books beside him, and every time Pei Du asked her what she was reading, Jiang Jinshuang would calmly put down the book cover and show him the pictures inside.

"A collection of erotic illustrations that are extremely rare this year."

She got to see the shocked and ashamed look in Pei Du's eyes!

Even so, he never actually stopped her from watching these things.

He kept saying that he should behave properly, but as long as she ignored him, he would gradually fall silent, lower his head, and continue doing his own thing.

—To some extent, Pei Du did indeed indulge such an absurd person as her.

Jiang Jinshuang probably developed a love for reading around that time.

It seems that no matter what book she reads, he will not criticize or discipline her when she is with him.

She thought that she probably didn't enjoy reading books, but rather enjoyed reading while being with Pei Du.

My thoughts end here.

When Jiang Jinshuang came to her senses, she realized that she hadn't turned many pages of the book in her hand.

She reads very quickly, skimming through ten lines at a glance, but after half an incense stick's time had passed, she had only turned two or three pages.

Jiang Jinshuang chuckled softly, shook her head slightly, and focused her attention.

She was quite busy for the next three days.
-
Early the next morning.

Chun Tao entered the bedroom and helped Jiang Jinshuang wash up and change. Jiang Jinshuang rubbed her eyes, still sleepy.

I went to bed a little late last night and finished reading several books I had found.

Today we are going to the palace to prepare for the Qixi Festival banquet.