Reborn Spoiled Girl Tames the Regent

Chapter 178 Unraveling the Obsession

Jiang Wan then felt a piercing pain in her calf.

But her wound was not as bad as Guo Qiongfang's bleeding arm.

If she hadn't protected her, that sharp stone would have pierced the back of her head.

Jiang Mian tore off the hem of her inner shirt, pressed it against Guo Qiongfang's bleeding hand, and tightly wrapped it around her hand.

"Hiss..." She frowned.

"Stop the bleeding first," Jiang Wan said softly. "Thank you for today."

Guo Qiongfang pursed her lips and remained silent.

After bandaging the wound, Jiang Mian looked around.

Wild grasses grow thick and tall, and withered trees stand menacingly bare.

She asked, "Where is this place?"

Guo Qiongfang shook her head: "This place is far from the training ground, and I've never been here before."

She touched her body; she usually carried a signal cannon.

But there was nothing around his waist.

It must have fallen out by accident.

Jiang Wan watched her movements and said, "Never mind, the ground was covered with dead branches and leaves on the way here, so there should be footprints left. We just need to wait for them to come looking for us."

"Yes." Guo Qiongfang nodded.

The two leaned against a bare, cold boulder to calm themselves down.

In the silence, the cold wind in my ears did not stop.

Guo Qiongfang felt it was necessary to make things clear.

She endured the pain and explained, "Miss Jiang, no matter what you think, today's events have nothing to do with me. I just noticed something was wrong with the horse feed, which is probably why the black horse went berserk when it heard the whistle. Most likely, someone wanted to harm me, but I never expected that the person riding the horse today would be you."

She looked at Jiang Wan with guilt in her eyes: "I've dragged you into this... I'm sorry."

Jiang Wan shook her head: "I don't blame you. If you hadn't rushed over to block that blow, I probably would be dead."

"You... don't blame me?" Guo Qiongfang asked, somewhat surprised.

Even if someone else didn't take their anger out on them, they would at least feel resentment.

"Why?" she asked.

Jiang Mian raised her eyes: "If you truly intended to harm me, you wouldn't have risked your life to save me just now. I can distinguish right from wrong."

"But I... I really did want to compete with you, I wanted to..."

Jiang Mian shook her head: "I know, your idea of ​​me riding the black horse is a little trick."

Guo Qiongfang was taken aback.

"That horse is fast and steady, but it requires skill to control. You assume that my riding skills are not as good as yours and that I will have a hard time riding it, but it is also the safest one."

"The horse you rode from the Guo residence may seem docile, but it actually has great explosive power and is better at sprinting short distances, which is perfect for your riding and archery competition."

Jiang Wan spoke slowly, each sentence hitting the nail on the head regarding Guo Qiongfang's subtle calculations: "You want to beat me, you want to shine brighter in front of him. So, you gave me a seemingly fair game, but in reality, you had the upper hand."

Guo Qiongfang's cheeks suddenly burned.

She opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but found herself unable to do so.

“But Miss Guo,” Jiang Wan said again, “I accepted your challenge today not because you provoked me, nor because I wanted to compete with anyone.”

"I just feel that a woman who can ride a horse and draw a bow should not be confined to petty thoughts like pleasing men."

She smiled slightly, a hint of melancholy in her eyes that Guo Qiongfang couldn't understand.

"If you enjoy riding and archery, it should be because you enjoy the thrill of hitting the bullseye and the vastness of the world. Not because some man might take a second look."

Guo Qiongfang was completely stunned, and even the pain in her arm seemed to be temporarily forgotten.

She had heard countless rules and regulations from childhood to adulthood—

A woman should be quiet, gentle, and learn needlework.

Horseback archery is a rustic pastime, a hobby for men.

No one had ever spoken to her in such a tone: You can do these things simply because you like them.

And the person who pointed this out to her was the one she was secretly comparing herself to.

She didn't know what to say for a moment.

Jiang Mian said no more.

She knew that some things should be left unsaid.

As for how much Guo Qiongfang can understand, that's up to her.

She turned her head and saw Guo Qiongfang staring at her with an expression of adoration.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?" Jiang Wan touched her face.

Guo Qiongfang shook her head: "No, no, no, I just think what you said earlier sounded like something an elder would say, and it made more sense than what my mother said."

Jiang Mian lowered her head and smiled.

The combined age of her past and present lives is indeed enough to make her an elder.

But weren't those words also a way for her to question herself?

Since her rebirth, she has been determined to go to Ning Zhi's side and make up for the debts she owed in her previous life.

This thought sustained her through her fear and scheming towards Xiao Hengzhi.

But when Ning Zhi told her at the inn that he wanted to make her the Crown Princess, even at the cost of giving up his position as Crown Prince, she suddenly realized—

That was a path that required confronting the entire imperial power as a price, a path that could only be traversed by stepping over Xiao Heng's corpse.

It was a difficult journey without anyone's blessings, one that could even drag Ning Zhi into the abyss.

Is this path really worth it?

Ning Zhi was raised as the crown prince from a young age.

He began his formal education at the age of three, studied policy essays at five, learned statecraft from Duan Zhi'an at seven, and was able to listen to political discussions at ten.

In my past life, I heard an old palace maid mention: "When His Highness was young, his favorite books weren't poetry and romance, but rather the dry 'Commentary on the Waterways Classic' and local agricultural records..."

He once reported the loss of the border and then spent the night in front of the sand table deducing the situation.

He once argued heatedly with senior officials in the court over the people's suffering and disasters.

He possessed an innate sense of responsibility befitting an imperial family, a keen eye for the nation's well-being and strategic planning cultivated through Duan Zhi'an's meticulous instruction.

He may have had selfish motives or ulterior motives.

But it does indeed have the ability to govern the world.

In his previous life, he was a good king who cared for the world.

Without her, he could have peacefully governed the country and gradually become the wise ruler praised by history.

Instead of being disemboweled by Xiao Hengzhi and thrown down the steps of the main hall.

Now that he has been given a second chance at life, will he again defy the imperial power and give up his position as crown prince because of her?

She suddenly realized she was wrong.

She believed that only by marrying him could she atone for the selfishness and betrayal she had suffered in her past life.

But in order to make up for that debt, she seems to be creating new debts in this life.

She advised Guo Qiongfang not to live to please men.

But what about herself?

In this life and the next, I struggle against Chi Yu, against fate, and against Xiao Heng...

After going around in circles, struggling to the point of being unrecognizable.

She could even imagine that once she entered the palace walls, she would be met with endless palace intrigue.

How is this any different from my previous life?

Perhaps... she didn't love Ning Zhi as much as she thought.

More than anything, there is gratitude, guilt, and regret for not having a good end in a previous life.

Rather than continuing down this path where no one offers blessings and makes everyone unhappy...

Perhaps we should try a different way to repay the debt.

Quietly accompany him for a while, using your only valuable past life memories to clear obstacles for him and sit firmly on the high platform.

This is perhaps more practical and cleaner than the position of Crown Princess, which is full of sacrifices.

After saying what needed to be said and helping what needed to be helped, she left.

They will not take away any title or status, nor will they leave any further debts.

Once everything was back on track, she returned to her father's side and lived a peaceful life thereafter.

Jiang Mian gently exhaled a breath of white air, and smiled slightly as if relieved.

The door in my heart called obsession.

In an unknown corner.

Finally, she herself slowly pushed open a crack.