Binding Spring Love

"A thousand cypresses!"

A huge burst of flames exploded, and scattered embers fell in all directions. The burned civilians then began to run in the opposite direction.

The entire Dengtian Tower was made of nanmu wood, and it quickly caught fire, instantly turning into a burning tower.

The third prince fell from a great height, and Song Fu was so shocked that he hurriedly reached out his hands to catch him.

"Lord Song, be careful."

The charred tower continued to crackle and pop, with pieces of wood falling one after another. Jiang Yan watched as a huge wooden frame fell diagonally from top to bottom, heading towards Song Fu's head.

Before he could react, he leaped forward and tackled the person to the ground.

He knew how important the Third Prince was to the Song family, but he knew even more how important Song Fu was to that person.

In that person's mind, even if everyone in the world were to die, it wouldn't be as good as having Song Fu alive.

The huge wooden frame fell very quickly, and Jiang Yan didn't have time to get up and avoid it. He could only hold Song Fu's head firmly.

His lunge was too fast; Xiao Jiyue couldn't even reach out to grab him. Not far away, Shen Qianbai also fell with the flames. Xiao Jiyue had no choice but to use the momentum to get up and catch the Third Prince, who was falling from the rooftop, in his arms.

After rescuing the man, he discovered that half of Shen Qianbai's face and body had been blown to pieces.

"Jiang Yan..."

Without time to think, he gently placed the Third Prince aside and hurriedly looked at Jiang Yan. Just one glance made Xiao Jiye's eyes widen.

The massive wooden frame crashed down on his back, scattering embers mixed with bright red blood everywhere. Jiang Yan lay limply on Song Fu's body, his fate unknown.

Xiao Jiyue stepped forward, pushed the wooden frame aside, and then half-encircled Jiang Yan in his arms.

"Jiang Yan, wake up."

Song Fu was also full of surprise and reached out to check Jiang Yan's breath.

"Come back to the Song residence with me. The former head of the Imperial Medical Academy is currently at my residence."

He rolled over and scrambled to his feet, pulling Shen Qianbai into his arms. When Song Fu saw the wounds on his face, his brows furrowed deeply.

The crowds on the street had not yet dispersed, and there were cries and wails everywhere. Xiao Jiyue felt his hands being stained red with warm liquid, and for a moment he did not even dare to look down at Jiang Yan's face.

"Well……"

Amidst the bumpy and crowded ride, Jiang Yan suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood.

"Just hang in there a little longer, we'll be at the Song residence soon."

Xiao Jiye looked down and saw Jiang Yan calmly looking at the candy shop in front of him.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a surge of anger upon seeing this.

"Go this way."

Song Fu pointed to a house, and the two of them climbed over the wall, nearly scaring the couple who were leaning against the door to prevent people from rushing in.

The Song residence was not far from Dongzhimen. After taking a shortcut, you would reach the backyard of the Song residence. Song Fu walked to the front door and kicked open the side gate.

"The eldest young master is back! The eldest young master and the third prince are back!"

The gatekeeper was so startled that he shouted loudly. Upon hearing that Shen Qianbai was there, a group of people rushed over and surrounded Song Fu.

"Young Master, please come in. Old Master He is in the front hall."

A dozen or so people poured out from the inner and outer courtyards of the Song residence, while the rest of the servants went out to search for Song Lan'an and Madam Song. Today was supposed to be a grand Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, with the entire household outside. Now that chaos had broken out outside and their master was still missing, everyone was in a panic.

Fortunately, Song Fu brought Shen Qianbai back to the manor, giving them some breathing room.

A group of people hurriedly carried Song Fu and Shen Qianbai away, leaving Xiao Jiye and Jiang Yan behind.

Xiao Jiyue followed, about to get angry, but was suddenly grabbed by Jiang Yan's sleeve.

"I want to...see her."

"Take care of yourself first."

At a time like this, he's still thinking about that damned sister-in-law. I really don't know what's going on in Jiang Yan's head.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan stared blankly, his eyes filled with sorrow.

He wanted to see her.

Looking up at the bright moon in the sky, Jiang Yan suddenly remembered the day he first met Song Wan.

In his heart, Song Wan was like the cold and noble moon, someone one could only look up to but could never touch.

Jiang Yan closed his eyes, his expression calm and gentle.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Jiyue's eyebrows furrowed in anger.

He looked around and, seeing no one, steeled himself and carried Jiang Yan over the hanging flower gate.

In the back courtyard of the Song family mansion, there was only one courtyard and room that was not lit, and there were no servants guarding it. He guessed that this was Song Wan's boudoir, and after a moment's thought, he turned over and went in.

The young girl's boudoir was filled with clever little things. Xiao Jiye threw back the beaded curtain on the door and placed Jiang Yan on the girl's embroidered bed.

"You wait here, I'll go fetch a doctor."

Xiao Jiyue took out a tinderbox from his sleeve, lit the candle on the table, and left the room.

The dim candlelight flickered, and Jiang Yan touched the quilt beneath him, a slow smile spreading across his face.

This was her private room, and he knew it.

Her belongings, like her, are aloof and dignified, but upon closer inspection, one can always glimpse a gentleness that is not easily noticed by ordinary people.

There were three or four fragrant pillows on the girl's embroidered bed. Jiang Yan reached out and gently stroked them, but dared not actually touch them at all.

Only when he felt the blood on his body slowly soaking through the bedding beneath him did a hint of annoyance appear in his eyes.

It really tainted her things.

Although the house had been uninhabited for a long time, maids and servants would come to clean it every now and then, and Jiang Yan could still smell a faint fragrance of flowers while lying inside.

The fragrance of the flowers felt both familiar and strange to him.

In a daze, Jiang Yan seemed to see Song Wan as a child.

On the day he first met Song Wan, Aunt Liu, as usual, forced him to go to the madam to show filial piety.

At that time, the news of the old Marquis's death at the border with Jiang Xingjian had just arrived, and the entire Marquis's mansion was filled with grief. Only Aunt Liu's lips curled up every day, and she could not suppress it.

When the old Marquis was alive, she would occasionally torment him, making him frame Concubine Zhou and Concubine Zheng while he was covered in injuries. Or, under the guise of making the Marquis feel sorry for his illegitimate son, she would deliberately leave him out in the courtyard in winter, or injure his hands and feet with something, all in an attempt to lure the Marquis into her courtyard.

This tactic used to work, but ever since the old Marquis discovered that he was either sick or constantly injured every month, he finally saw through Aunt Liu's intentions.

Jiang Yan knew that the old Marquis did have some fatherly affection for him, and that was why he gradually distanced himself from the mother and son.

But he was wrong.

In the past, when the Marquis went to Consort Liu's courtyard, Consort Liu would always sigh that he was somewhat useful. So for the next three or four days, if Consort Liu was in a good mood, she would let him have some food or give him a nice look.

But when Aunt Liu realized he was no longer useful and could no longer attract the Marquis's attention by tormenting him, his life truly became difficult.

Aunt Liu tormented him even more cruelly, first to get the old Marquis's attention, and then to vent her personal anger. This continued until news came from the border that the Marquis and his son had died in battle.

That period was the most comfortable time Jiang Yan had ever lived before meeting Song Wan.

His birth mother held him every day, saying he was well-behaved and intelligent, and that he was exceptionally gifted.

In his limited memory, the only time Aunt Liu made clothes for him was during that period.

At that time, he would think that he could finally be cared for by his birth mother, just like Jiang Yi and Jiang Xing, and always be protected and comforted in her arms.

He thought that the gods had finally heard his daily prayers and had changed Aunt Liu's character, making her like Aunt Zhou and Aunt Zheng.

But this is not the case.

The truth is that one's inherent nature cannot be changed no matter what.

With the Marquis of Chengyang's son gone, he became the most likely person to inherit the title.

Aunt Liu's daily smiles were merely a ploy to get him to please the Madam and the Old Madam. She even hoped that the Madam would take pity on him and register him under her name, making him the legitimate heir of the Marquis's mansion and rightfully taking control of the Chengyang Marquis's mansion.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yan smiled mockingly.

Liu Zhu is indeed a fool, and a fool who is always prone to wild fantasies.

To make him please the lady, Liu Zhu found Jiang Xingjian's clothes somewhere and made him wear them, and also made him serve tea to the lady.

Jiang Yan still remembers that day when the lady saw him, she froze on the spot. After a long time, she picked up the hot tea on the tray and smashed it hard on his head.

"You little beast, you think you can take my place just because I, Yi'er, am gone? Dream on!"

"You lowly bastard, born of a lowly wretch, dare to dream of being my Yi'er? Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror to see if you're even worthy?"

Scalding hot tea was poured over Jiang Yan's face. He was in pain and scared, and he cried as he returned to Aunt Liu's room.

"Auntie, Madam doesn't like me dressed like this. I won't dress like this anymore."

Jiang Yan tearfully removed his clothes, blood streaming down his face, obscuring his vision and making it impossible for him to see Aunt Liu's face clearly. Just as he raised his hand to wipe the blood from his face, Jiang Yan felt a sharp pain in his scalded cheek.

Liu Zhu swung her arm and slapped him across the face: "You little beast, do you know how much effort I put into getting these clothes? You think you can just take them off like that? Why don't you just peel off that rotten layer of your skin too?"

The sharp fingernails dug into Jiang Yan's cheek, and Jiang Yan felt as if his face was being ripped off.

"You beastly brat, I see you've grown too big for your britches, daring to disobey me even now? Go apologize to Madam, and if she doesn't forgive you, you'll kneel in Jiangxiang Courtyard until you die. I want to see if the old lady will care about this only son of the family."

Liu Zhu grabbed Jiang Yan by the ear and threw him out of the room.

Qingzhai waited on the side, and seeing his young master's head and face covered in injuries, he also started to cry.

She was assigned to the second wife's household, and being a servant with no background, she could only watch as Aunt Liu beat and scolded her mistress every day, yet she didn't know how to stop it.

"My lady, let me wipe it for you... If the servants in the manor see this, the old lady will say something."

Jiang Yan pursed his lips, his eyes filled with panic.

My aunt had been getting better, but today, for some reason, she's reverted to her old ways.

Jiang Yan lowered his head timidly, looking at his slightly bent fingers, and suddenly remembered that his aunt had done the same thing last time, smashing an inkstone into his hand.

She had hoped that the Marquis would feel sorry for him and come to see him, but to her surprise, as soon as she saw him, he only praised her for taking good care of him recently, and Aunt Liu never mentioned his hand injury again.

"master."

Qingzhai tried to reach out and take Jiang Yan's hand, but he pushed her away.

"Nobody cares."

No one cared whether he was injured or in pain.

Jiang Yan pushed Qingzhai aside and ran out of Aunt Liu's courtyard alone.

He's going to find his uncle; his uncle must still care about him.

Jiang Yan ran out of the inner courtyard and headed straight for Liu Chengxiang's servants' quarters, but before he could even enter, he heard Liu Chengxiang say from inside, "The old and the young are all dead. As long as we keep Liu Zhu happy, won't this Marquis's mansion be ours in the future?"

Liu Chengxiang's wife lowered her eyes and said, "No matter how much you try to coax your sister, you can't let her treat Second Master like that. I've seen her beating him mercilessly every day. What if he gets seriously injured?"

"Who knows, when Second Master grows up, he might hold a grudge against her, and you'll be implicated."

"Don't worry, it won't happen."

Liu Chengxiang laughed: "That useless thing is like a baby who hasn't been weaned. He follows Liu Zhu around calling her 'Auntie' every day. Even if Liu Zhu gives him a nice look, he's so happy that he kneels down and wants to lick his auntie's feet."

"That thing has the temperament of a puppy; the harder you beat him, the closer he becomes to Liu Zhu."

"You're talking nonsense! I've never seen you hit Lian Sheng!"

Liu Chengxiang glared at her: "Our Lian Sheng is not like that stubborn brat who can't be driven away."

Jiang Yan squatted blankly outside the door, never knowing that his uncle viewed him this way.

His uncle used to treat him very well, bringing him pastries from outside and occasionally giving him a couple of candies.

In my memory, the candy my uncle gave me was always very sweet...

Jiang Yan jumped down the steps and, in a daze, disappeared into the artificial hill.

He disliked the Marquis's mansion, the old lady, Jiang's mother, Aunt Zhou and Aunt Zheng, and all the illegitimate sons of the Marquis's mansion.

He knew he couldn't compare to Jiang Yi, but why were Jiang Jing, Jiang Xing, and Jiang Ang, all born out of wedlock, living better lives than him?

He had seen Jiang Jing chasing butterflies in the courtyard, and when she got tired, Aunt Zhou would hug her and laugh.

Aunt Zhou smiled gently, and she would even braid Jiang Jing's hair when he was young in the courtyard.

Aunt Zhou had also styled his hair, but he dared not see her often.

He feared that if he saw Aunt Zhou too much, he would hate Liu Zhu.

Aunt Zheng was also very good to Jiang Ang. Jiang Ang was still young, and she would carry him wherever she went. Jiang Yan even saw Aunt Zheng bend down and gently kiss Jiang Ang's cheek.

Aunt Liu never showed him any affection, nor did she ever comb his hair.

At that moment, Jiang Yan finally understood that he was different.

He was different from Jiang Yi, who was born of the legitimate wife and received a great deal of love, and also different from other illegitimate sons who received the favor of their concubines.

Jiang Yan cried as he climbed over the artificial hill, desperately wanting to leave the Marquis's mansion.

He wanted to find people like him, people who had suffered as much as him, people who were ignored and uncared for as much as he was.

But the mansion was too big. Jiang Yan climbed the artificial hill for a long time but still couldn't see the scenery outside the mansion.

He slumped down against the wall and finally couldn't hold back his sobs.

"Who's there?"

A girl's soft voice came from behind the wall. Upon hearing it, Jiang Yan cried out, "And who are you?"

There was no sound from the other end, and Jiang Yan suddenly felt a little afraid that this person had also left him.

After a long silence, he heard the other person say, "I am Jiang Yi's widow."

"So you're my sister-in-law."

He knew that a girl carrying a memorial tablet had married into the household a few days ago.

He envied Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi was loved while alive, and even after death, he was still remembered.

Jiang Yan thought that if he died, no one would care, just like withered grass in winter slowly rotting into the mud, not causing the slightest ripple in anyone's heart.

After thinking about it, he burst into tears again.

From the other side of the wall, Song Wan spoke softly, "Are you Jiang Yan?"