bayedsolid Chapter 128 Plan
Chapter 128 Plan
When Madam Wang first heard the words about Liu Xu dying, she thought the girl had gone crazy again, but she quickly understood.
It's not about letting the child die, it's about letting the identity of Liu Xu die.
Wasn't that how they originally planned to do it, changing their names and fabricating their backgrounds?
But since Yu'er specifically brought it up, the plan must have changed, or at least it's not the same as before.
That's right, Jiang Xinyu's intention was to completely erase Liu Xu's identity from the public eye.
The usual tropes in stories about real and fake heiresses.
If the real heiress returns, she will inevitably exhaust the last bit of affection she has left through various schemes, leading to everyone's disgust. But what if she never returned to that family at all?
Humans are sometimes just incredibly foolish.
If you get something, you don't cherish it; if you can't get it, you keep romanticizing a imagined possibility in your mind.
No matter how unwilling Mrs. Zhang was to accept Liu Xu as she was now, the lively and adorable Zhang Yu from her childhood still held a place in her heart.
Liu Xu went back to her family, and they united to ostracize this outsider who made them feel ashamed. But what if Liu Xu died?
Without external threats, can their internal situation remain stable?
Liu Xu could take revenge on her uncle and aunt and on Zhang Yao, but she couldn't take revenge on her parents, brothers, and sisters. No matter how heartbroken she was, at most she would just part ways and never see them again.
But Jiang Xinyu still felt unsatisfied.
Since we're going to fake our death anyway, we might as well use some manipulative tactics to maximize the benefits of Liu Xu's death.
A heart-wrenching suicide note, a truly tragic method of self-destruction.
If Liu Xu complains about the unfairness of Zhang's parents, the couple will not reflect on their actions; they will only think that the lowly people from Nanfeng Pavilion are ignorant and disregard the big picture.
But what if Liu Xu were sensible?
He didn't blame his uncle and aunt for their malicious abduction, nor Zhang Yao for taking his identity, nor his heartless parents and siblings; he only blamed his own ill fate.
He died without disgracing the family's reputation or disturbing its peace; he only wished for harmony and a peaceful life within the family.
He blamed no one, only hoping that the river would wash away the filth on his body, so that if there were an afterlife, he could be reborn cleanly into his mother's womb and be mother and child again.
The living can never win against the dead.
She simply refused to believe that the Zhang family could remain indifferent to Liu Xu's death and continue to live happily with Zhang Yao's family.
After hearing Jiang Xinyu's plan, Madam Wang and Liu Xu looked at each other in dismay. Was this a bit too ruthless?
Jiang Xinyu curled her lips in disdain, "Not ruthless at all. Otherwise, how would Cousin Yu avenge himself?"
Even if we can get revenge later, why should that family be allowed to live so carefree for so long?
Moreover, this approach can definitively prove Liu Xu's death once and for all, and also extricate you, Aunt, from these matters.
It's not that I'm being petty.
If the aunt only brings back news of Yu's cousin's death, whether the Zhang family believes it or not is another matter. Even if they do believe it, they might still harbor resentment towards the aunt.
My method is better. Let Cousin Yu die because of the Zhang family and see how they can shirk responsibility.
Aunt, you're not worried about your cousin being sad, are you?
Madam Wang immediately spat, "What's there to be reluctant about? She brought it on herself by crying until she went blind."
If she had any maternal affection for her son, she wouldn't have defended Zhang Yao so vehemently, even if she didn't acknowledge Yu'er as a member of the family.
I can't accept a cousin who can't distinguish right from wrong and measures family ties by self-interest.
I felt this arrangement was too much trouble for Chief Supervisor Xiao.
Jiang Xinyu didn't take it to heart, "We're all family, what's the trouble? It's just a matter of finding two servants who look similar to Cousin Yu to go on a business trip and perform a play."
"Whatever kind of work it is, it's not like I won't pay you a kickback."
Liu Xu frowned, clutching her sleeve, and hesitated, "It's too much trouble for you. I can actually do it myself..."
Jiang Xinyu quickly made a stop gesture.
"If you jump into the river in public, someone will quickly jump in to rescue you. Do you have the ability to swim?"
Since Jiangnan is a place of heartbreak for you, you don't need to go there. They can fake their deaths there, and you can start a new life here.
As I predicted, if the plan goes smoothly, Zhang Yao's family will surely suffer retribution. If they are still alive and well a year from now, I will personally avenge them for you.
Don't be so polite with me.
You're practically my first friend in this world. I wouldn't dare say I'd risk my life for you, but I can certainly stab others in the back for you.
Madam Wang nodded in agreement, but was somewhat worried that things wouldn't go as smoothly as Yu'er had anticipated.
Jiang Xinyu, however, was quite confident. "I can roughly guess what kind of person Zhang Yao is."
If the aunt sends a message early on, indicating the arrival date and asking the Zhang family to send someone to pick her up, Zhang Yao will definitely get restless and interfere.
He might feign illness to cause trouble and prevent the Zhang family from going to the dock, or he might send his servants to spread rumors; in short, he wouldn't let his cousin Yu have a good time.
The agents of the Eastern Depot were all quite good at acting. They would find an excuse to cry a few words at the dock, then pretend to leave a farewell letter and jump into the canal.
The person was forced to death by the Zhang family, so this matter has nothing to do with the aunt.
"Just personally deliver that farewell letter to Madam Zhang; let them play out the rest of the drama themselves."
The more Lady Wang thought about it, the more feasible her niece's plan seemed.
Jiang Xinyu was overjoyed to receive the praise and began drafting her final letter. Recalling the tragic lines from the modern novels she had read, she wrote something incredibly moving.
So what if it's written in plain language? Anyway, Liu Xu's character isn't a literary genius. As long as the writing is deeply moving, tragic, and pitiful, and it shows Liu Xu's forbearance and maturity, that's fine.
While she was writing her manuscript, Madam Wang was also busy, and she insisted on making Liu Xu her godmother.
Even though the distance between them might mean they would never see each other again, they were bound by fate, and Madam Wang wanted her child to have something to remember her by.
Liu Xu did not refuse again and obediently bowed to her adoptive mother, secretly vowing to repay the kindness of her adoptive mother and Jiang Xinyu in the future.
Knowing he was a filthy person, yet still willing to pull him out of the mire and give him hope for survival, how could such kindness be too much?
Liu Xu became his aunt's son, and Jiang Xinyu called him cousin even more sincerely.
The name Liu Xu could no longer be used, and the name Zhang Yu was also discarded.
After discussing it for a long time, the mother and her two children changed Liu Xu's name again, giving her the surname Wang and the given name Huan, following Madam Wang's surname.
The character 焕 (huàn) means to rejuvenate and be completely renewed, symbolizing the emergence of new vitality and energy after experiencing setbacks.
Liu Xu's eyes lit up again. He would live a good life and make something of himself. He would not tarnish the name his adoptive mother had given him.
The next day was a day off. Xiao Yuan arrived in the evening and just smiled sarcastically when he heard about Liu Xu's situation.
That's human nature; he'd seen too much of it and become numb to it.
Especially for those who were eunuchs, some of them spent their whole lives toiling in the palace and saved up all the money they had, giving it all to their families in the hope that their nephews would support them in their old age. But once they left the palace, they often did not have a good end.
Liu Xu was relatively fortunate; she saw through the situation early and withdrew. If she had simply craved kinship and returned to the Zhang family, that would have been the beginning of her misfortune.
Xiao Yuan didn't care at all about his wife getting him work; his aunt's adopted son was also a relative, and it was a good thing that his wife was willing to rely on him.
While the two were chatting intimately, Jiang Xinyu didn't forget her business and handed over the list given to her by Prince An to Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan nodded after reading it.
He already knew who some of them were; Prince An's list was fairly honest.
After a night of passion, Governor Xiao spent the next day playing around with his wife before reluctantly returning to the capital to continue his miserable official duties.
Jiang Xinyu did not tell him about Xu Qinglan.
Firstly, there's no point in bringing up something that hasn't even happened yet, and secondly, she also wanted to see if Xiao Yuan was a sensible person.