In his previous life, he had swept away all obstacles and reached the highest positions of power with authority reaching to the heavens, yet he was always alone.
Later, someone asked if he still remembered his wife who had passed away.
He was stunned for a long time, before giving a self-deprecating laugh.
How could he not remember?
It was only when he was old and on his deathbed that he finally realized... it was he who had first developed feelings for her at the British diplomatic reception in spring.
Recalling this, Jiang Yin raised his head with slightly reddened eyes that were turning moist.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, and said to the woman still kneeling below, "Raise your head."
The woman obediently raised her head, revealing a face identical to Gu Ying's.
Jiang Yin looked at her with complex emotions.
In his previous life, he had by chance met a girl named Chu Jiuniang who resembled her.
Chu Jiuniang was from Haizhou. She came from a poor farming family, with generations of farmers. Later her father married a wandering madwoman who gave birth to a bunch of children before her. Originally there were eight older brothers before her, but because the family was too poor to raise them all, five of them died prematurely, leaving only three brothers. She was the only daughter born as the ninth child, which was how she got her name. Her eldest brother was conscripted into the army. Her second brother was sentenced to prison for murder. Only she and her third brother were left in the family.
Despite her humble origins, she possessed a face that was eighty percent similar to Gu Ying's. Because her looks attracted too much unwanted attention, she was kept hidden at home and carefully raised by her father and brothers, nurtured into tender flesh and delicate skin as white as a painting.
Later, after her brothers successively died prematurely and her parents became ill and passed away, her only remaining third brother became addicted to gambling and debauchery. Left without a choice, she had to show her face outside to find a living. This was how, when she was nearly sold to a brothel, she met him when he happened to be visiting Haizhou.
When he first saw her, he was extremely shocked. He immediately had his people buy her and bring her back to his residence.
At the time, Gu Ying had complications after a miscarriage and her health had been declining. She had been relying on medication to recuperate.
He secretly brought Chu Jiuniang back to a separate courtyard residence in Bianjing and gave her covert training until her comportment and manners became almost indistinguishable from Gu Ying’s.
Later, this woman did help him a lot. Using her beauty and bedroom skills, she assisted his swift rise through the ranks at court.
He didn’t expect that after his rebirth, when he sent people in advance to bring her back, she was actually willing to travel thousands of miles from Haizhou to Yueyang to come to him.
It was just a pity that although this woman was an ignorant village woman, she was not very easy to control. If he wanted to use her again, he would have to think carefully about how to do it.
He looked at her for a long time, seeing Gu Ying's shadow on her face. Unable to restrain himself, he leaned over and reached out to stroke her face, a loving and doting look emerging in his eyes.
“From now on, forget everything about your past. Your name is Gu Ying. Do you understand?”
Chu Jiuniang gave a faint smile and obediently said, “This servant understands. I am Gu Ying, Second Young Lady of the East Pingbo Residence's second branch. I'm currently the wife of the Heir Apparent of Prince Zhongguo’s residence.”
Jiang Yin was very satisfied. Under Han Lin's training lately, not only had her looks become more and more similar to Gu Ying’s, but her behavior and manners had also become identical to Gu Ying's in every way - her speech, movements, temperament and tone of voice. Even some subtle gestures had been learned uncannily lifelike.
Whenever he came to see her, there were times he couldn't distinguish true from false.
He softened his tone and said, "Stand up and come over."
Chu Jiuniang stood up and walked over to sit on the short couch by his side. She turned her face and looked at him with a pair of limpid, beautiful eyes full of deep passion and affection.
She just kept gazing at him wholeheartedly this way, giving Jiang Yin the fleeting illusion that she was the Gu Ying from his previous life who had loved him with all her heart and soul.
"Gu Ying... is it you?"
"It's me, young master."
"Gu Ying... will you always listen to me?"
"This servant will naturally follow the young master with all my heart and soul. Whatever the young master says, this servant will obey."
Jiang Yin's eyes darkened. He pulled the woman's soft body into his embrace and couldn't help leaning over to kiss her on the lips.
Chu Jiuniang swallowed and hooked her arms around his neck. Her eyes lit up with bewitching charm. "Young master..."
Hearing this coquettish form of address, Jiang Yin suddenly came to his senses. Gu Ying would never make such a bewitching sound towards him.
As a proper young lady from a prominent household, although she lacked parental guidance growing up, she behaved with propriety and gentleness. When shy, she would only bite her lips with moist eyes pleading for him not to overstep his bounds.
But she was never so libertine.
He pushed her away forcefully, his whole body turning cold.
Chu Jiuniang didn't know what she had done to displease him. Flustered, she blinked nervously a few times before kneeling back down in anxious apprehension.
She came from an extremely poor family. The men in her village lusted after her beauty and none harbored good intentions whenever they loitered outside her door. She was terrified and had run away under the cover of night to the city of Haizhou to find a living. She didn't expect a man would buy her there.
She had abandoned her gambling addict brother to travel a thousand miles from Haizhou over here because she thought she might be sold to some wealthy but lecherous old man. But unexpectedly, the one she ended up meeting was this handsome, refined and cultured young master.
Not only did he dress her in beautiful clothes and give her money, but he also specially arranged for people to teach her poetry, etiquette and decorum.
What delighted her even more was that he was very fond of her, taking her virginity on the very first night. He treated her with exceptional gentleness and affection. The sensations that night were especially wonderful. She was immersed in rapture for most of the night. When she woke up ensconced blissfully in his embrace the next morning, body limp and sore all over, she knew he was the one for her this lifetime.
Only this graceful young man before her had given her a chance to live. She would follow him for the rest of her life, listening to him, bearing his children, and accompanying him until their hair turned white.
"Young master, what wrong has this servant done?"
Jiang Yin's face darkened in irritation. "Stay here obediently and wait for my arrangements. Don't come out casually."
Chu Jiuniang bit her lip. She felt somewhat aggrieved being cooped up here for so long without the young master touching her again, yet she didn't overstep her bounds too much and obediently responded, "Yes..."
Jiang Yin's heart was filled with turmoil and anger as he got up and strode out of the secret chamber, hating how he couldn't control his feelings towards Gu Ying which kept disturbing his state of mind.
That woman had betrayed him in both lifetimes and became Zhao Changdu's woman. Why should he care so much about her? He must kill her to eliminate this influence over him!
Yet as soon as he thought this, a twinge of pain spread through his heart.
Oh well, he might as well keep her. He didn't mind her past. Once he had dealt with Zhao Changdu and the Li royal family, he would take her back by his side. By then, he would love and pamper her wholeheartedly, and make her understand that he was the person in this world who loved her the most.
Jiang Yin had just exited the secret chamber when he saw Han Lin rushing over anxiously to meet him.
"Master, bad news!"
Jiang Yin's brow furrowed. "What's happened?"
Han Lin said, "Second Young Lady Gu came over to the residence just now and abducted His Highness Prince Shu away."
Jiang Yin's expression drastically changed. "What?!"
In his previous life, he had swept away all obstacles and reached the highest positions of power with authority reaching to the heavens, yet he was always alone.
Later, someone asked if he still remembered his wife who had passed away.
He was stunned for a long time, before giving a self-deprecating laugh.
How could he not remember?
It was only when he was old and on his deathbed that he finally realized... it was he who had first developed feelings for her at the British diplomatic reception in spring.
Recalling this, Jiang Yin raised his head with slightly reddened eyes that were turning moist.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, and said to the woman still kneeling below, "Raise your head."
The woman obediently raised her head, revealing a face identical to Gu Ying's.
Jiang Yin looked at her with complex emotions.
In his previous life, he had by chance met a girl named Chu Jiuniang who resembled her.
Chu Jiuniang was from Haizhou. She came from a poor farming family, with generations of farmers. Later her father married a wandering madwoman who gave birth to a bunch of children before her. Originally there were eight older brothers before her, but because the family was too poor to raise them all, five of them died prematurely, leaving only three brothers. She was the only daughter born as the ninth child, which was how she got her name. Her eldest brother was conscripted into the army. Her second brother was sentenced to prison for murder. Only she and her third brother were left in the family.
Despite her humble origins, she possessed a face that was eighty percent similar to Gu Ying's. Because her looks attracted too much unwanted attention, she was kept hidden at home and carefully raised by her father and brothers, nurtured into tender flesh and delicate skin as white as a painting.
Later, after her brothers successively died prematurely and her parents became ill and passed away, her only remaining third brother became addicted to gambling and debauchery. Left without a choice, she had to show her face outside to find a living. This was how, when she was nearly sold to a brothel, she met him when he happened to be visiting Haizhou.
When he first saw her, he was extremely shocked. He immediately had his people buy her and bring her back to his residence.
At the time, Gu Ying had complications after a miscarriage and her health had been declining. She had been relying on medication to recuperate.
He secretly brought Chu Jiuniang back to a separate courtyard residence in Bianjing and gave her covert training until her comportment and manners became almost indistinguishable from Gu Ying’s.
Later, this woman did help him a lot. Using her beauty and bedroom skills, she assisted his swift rise through the ranks at court.
He didn’t expect that after his rebirth, when he sent people in advance to bring her back, she was actually willing to travel thousands of miles from Haizhou to Yueyang to come to him.
It was just a pity that although this woman was an ignorant village woman, she was not very easy to control. If he wanted to use her again, he would have to think carefully about how to do it.
He looked at her for a long time, seeing Gu Ying's shadow on her face. Unable to restrain himself, he leaned over and reached out to stroke her face, a loving and doting look emerging in his eyes.
“From now on, forget everything about your past. Your name is Gu Ying. Do you understand?”
Chu Jiuniang gave a faint smile and obediently said, “This servant understands. I am Gu Ying, Second Young Lady of the East Pingbo Residence's second branch. I'm currently the wife of the Heir Apparent of Prince Zhongguo’s residence.”
Jiang Yin was very satisfied. Under Han Lin's training lately, not only had her looks become more and more similar to Gu Ying’s, but her behavior and manners had also become identical to Gu Ying's in every way - her speech, movements, temperament and tone of voice. Even some subtle gestures had been learned uncannily lifelike.
Whenever he came to see her, there were times he couldn't distinguish true from false.
He softened his tone and said, "Stand up and come over."
Chu Jiuniang stood up and walked over to sit on the short couch by his side. She turned her face and looked at him with a pair of limpid, beautiful eyes full of deep passion and affection.
She just kept gazing at him wholeheartedly this way, giving Jiang Yin the fleeting illusion that she was the Gu Ying from his previous life who had loved him with all her heart and soul.
"Gu Ying... is it you?"
"It's me, young master."
"Gu Ying... will you always listen to me?"
"This servant will naturally follow the young master with all my heart and soul. Whatever the young master says, this servant will obey."
Jiang Yin's eyes darkened. He pulled the woman's soft body into his embrace and couldn't help leaning over to kiss her on the lips.
Chu Jiuniang swallowed and hooked her arms around his neck. Her eyes lit up with bewitching charm. "Young master..."
Hearing this coquettish form of address, Jiang Yin suddenly came to his senses. Gu Ying would never make such a bewitching sound towards him.
As a proper young lady from a prominent household, although she lacked parental guidance growing up, she behaved with propriety and gentleness. When shy, she would only bite her lips with moist eyes pleading for him not to overstep his bounds.
But she was never so libertine.
He pushed her away forcefully, his whole body turning cold.
Chu Jiuniang didn't know what she had done to displease him. Flustered, she blinked nervously a few times before kneeling back down in anxious apprehension.
She came from an extremely poor family. The men in her village lusted after her beauty and none harbored good intentions whenever they loitered outside her door. She was terrified and had run away under the cover of night to the city of Haizhou to find a living. She didn't expect a man would buy her there.
She had abandoned her gambling addict brother to travel a thousand miles from Haizhou over here because she thought she might be sold to some wealthy but lecherous old man. But unexpectedly, the one she ended up meeting was this handsome, refined and cultured young master.
Not only did he dress her in beautiful clothes and give her money, but he also specially arranged for people to teach her poetry, etiquette and decorum.
What delighted her even more was that he was very fond of her, taking her virginity on the very first night. He treated her with exceptional gentleness and affection. The sensations that night were especially wonderful. She was immersed in rapture for most of the night. When she woke up ensconced blissfully in his embrace the next morning, body limp and sore all over, she knew he was the one for her this lifetime.
Only this graceful young man before her had given her a chance to live. She would follow him for the rest of her life, listening to him, bearing his children, and accompanying him until their hair turned white.
"Young master, what wrong has this servant done?"
Jiang Yin's face darkened in irritation. "Stay here obediently and wait for my arrangements. Don't come out casually."
Chu Jiuniang bit her lip. She felt somewhat aggrieved being cooped up here for so long without the young master touching her again, yet she didn't overstep her bounds too much and obediently responded, "Yes..."
Jiang Yin's heart was filled with turmoil and anger as he got up and strode out of the secret chamber, hating how he couldn't control his feelings towards Gu Ying which kept disturbing his state of mind.
That woman had betrayed him in both lifetimes and became Zhao Changdu's woman. Why should he care so much about her? He must kill her to eliminate this influence over him!
Yet as soon as he thought this, a twinge of pain spread through his heart.
Oh well, he might as well keep her. He didn't mind her past. Once he had dealt with Zhao Changdu and the Li royal family, he would take her back by his side. By then, he would love and pamper her wholeheartedly, and make her understand that he was the person in this world who loved her the most.
Jiang Yin had just exited the secret chamber when he saw Han Lin rushing over anxiously to meet him.
"Master, bad news!"
Jiang Yin's brow furrowed. "What's happened?"
Han Lin said, "Second Young Lady Gu came over to the residence just now and abducted His Highness Prince Shu away."
Jiang Yin's expression drastically changed. "What?!"
