QT: The Rescue Of The Miserable Bigshots-Chapter 306 - 10.7

"Your Highness! A report from the capital!"

Early in the morning, within the Huainan King’s mansion, a trusted confidant responsible for receiving carrier-pigeon messages rushed into Xiao Jinan’s study.

"Bring it here!"

Xiao Jinan didn’t yet know what had happened. Dark circles still lingered beneath his eyes.

The moment he heard his confidant’s words, he bypassed the table and strode forward. Before the man could even react, Xiao Jinan snatched the note from his hand and unfolded it.

"Imprisoned!?" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

He scanned it briefly, then clenched the note tightly, his expression instantly turning terrifyingly grim.

Seeing this, the confidant immediately held his breath, afraid that Xiao Jinan’s anger would be directed at him.

Xiao Jinan’s face darkened as he pondered in silence for a long while. Suddenly, he lifted his head and looked straight at the confidant.

"Immediately send a messenger to the court. Say that I am willing to surrender and offer tribute, and that I will harbor no further thoughts of disloyalty. I have only one request: that the court bestow upon General of the Valiant Cavalry, Jiang Jiamian, the title of Queen of Huainan through marriage."

The confidant froze, almost unable to comprehend what he had just heard. "Huh?"

Xiao Jinan narrowed his eyes. "Do you not understand what I’m saying? I will personally write a memorial requesting this marriage, in exchange for peace. Have it delivered to His Majesty at top speed."

Rebellion would only further enrage the Emperor.

This was perhaps the only method most likely to save Jiang Jiamian’s life.

After all, that tyrannical Emperor had long harbored resentment toward the King of Huainan’s family for their disloyalty. Sacrificing the son of a traitor in exchange for their surrender would serve as a guarantee. Whether the Emperor fully believed it or not, he would still be willing to try.

There was no loss, after all.

If the King of Huainan truly used Jiang Jiamian to vent his anger, and in doing so became indebted to the court and remained obedient for several years, why wouldn’t the Emperor agree?

Jiang Jiamian was already useless, no longer someone who could be used to suppress the Huainan King’s faction.

"Yes, Your Highness!" The confidant replied. "I obey."

In the capital, Jiang Jiamian successfully entered the prison cell and finally saw his father, Jiang Qingshan, who was already on the verge of death.

At this moment, Jiang Qingshan was terminally ill, his breathing faint and uneven. Yet he stubbornly clung to his last breath, as if he were waiting for something.

"Father... Father?"

In his daze, Jiang Qingshan seemed to hear a familiar voice calling softly beside him. A sudden spark of light flickered through his cloudy eyes. He abruptly raised his hand and tightly grasped Jiang Jiamian’s arm.

As if fueled by a final burst of strength, he suddenly found energy he should no longer have.

"Jiamian!"

His son.

Jiang Jiamian let out a quiet breath. At some point, an inconspicuous pill had appeared between his fingers. It was the antidote he had requested from Su Jinzhou in the quick-transmigration group chat while still on the road.

After all, Jiang Qingshan’s real problem was not illness, but poison administered by a spy from the Tuojia Kingdom. Only an antidote could resolve it.

Jiang Qingshan was a mortal. The laws of this world were far more restrictive than those of the apocalyptic world Jiang Jiamian had passed through before. Directly using spiritual spring water or cultivation-world items would be far too much for his body to bear.

Worse, it could alert the laws of a higher world.

Thus, Jiang Jiamian had no choice but to seek help from his old friend once again.

He did not dare waste any time, nor did he have the leisure to explain anything. He directly fed the antidote pill to Jiang Qingshan, watching him swallow it before finally releasing a breath of relief.

"Father." Jiang Jiamian asked quietly, "What exactly happened? Why did the emperor accuse the Jiang family of rebellion?"

After taking the pill, Jiang Qingshan felt his body gradually relax. He was about to ask a question of his own, but upon hearing Jiang Jiamian’s words, he forcibly swallowed it back.

Hatred and resentment uncontrollably surfaced on his pale face.

"This was a conspiracy by the Tuojia people!"

Jiang Jiamian pressed, "What exactly did they do?"

The Tuojia, together with the Gele Kingdom, were the two northwestern border states that had long coveted the Great An territory, invading almost every year.

No one resented Jiang Chong and his son Jiang Qingshan, who had guarded the northwest for decades, more than they did.

Jiang Jiamian sneered inwardly.

It didn’t matter.

Whether state or kingdom, since they dared to do this, he would wipe them out sooner or later.

But before that, he first had to control Great An itself.

Either he would become emperor, or he would place Xiao Jinan on the throne.

Only then would there be a real chance to annex those two small states in one decisive stroke.

Otherwise, even if they were destroyed, the benefits would merely fall into the hands of a foolish and incompetent emperor.

Jiang Qingshan’s face was deathly pale as he continued, his voice trembling with anger. "The Tuojia knew that as long as the Jiang family army held the northwest, they would never have a chance. When they couldn’t defeat us on the battlefield, they turned to vile schemes. They had someone imitate your grandfather’s handwriting and forged letters claiming he secretly colluded with the Tuojia royal court."

"They also bribed traitorous officials within the Great An court to deliberately expose this to the emperor."

Jiang Qingshan’s hands shook violently. "The emperor flew into a rage. He immediately summoned your grandfather and me back to the capital. Your grandfather was executed on the charge of treason and collusion with the enemy... and I was imprisoned."

"Jiamian..." Jiang Qingshan suddenly raised his head and looked at Jiang Jiamian sorrowfully. "Child... how did you also end up here?"

He shook his head and smiled bitterly. "During these days in prison, I wanted to see you. But I was afraid that if you came, you would be implicated as well. In the end... it was unavoidable."

When he realized he had been poisoned, he knew something was terribly wrong.

Although he desperately wanted to see his son one last time, he also understood what it would mean if Jiang Jiamian truly returned.

No matter how he prayed, whether Jiang Jiamian remained in the south or escaped this calamity, the emperor would never spare him.

And yet Jiang Jiamian still came.

"What sins has our Jiang family committed?" Jiang Qingshan cried hoarsely. "Three generations of loyalty, how did it come to such an end?!"

Unable to restrain himself any longer, tears welled in his eyes.

"Jiamian, if you can survive, you must clear the Jiang family’s name!"

Even as he said this, he knew the truth.

Neither father nor son was likely to escape death.

"The Tuojia are too insidious. Great An..."

"Great An?"

Before Jiang Qingshan could finish, Jiang Jiamian suddenly sneered and stood up.

"Father, at this point, are you still worrying about Great An?"

Jiang Qingshan froze, looking up at him. He suddenly felt that this son before him was unfamiliar.

"If the Jiang family falls..." Jiang Qingshan said urgently, "The northwest will lose its pillar. Gele and Tuojia will surely invade. Then it will be the common people who suffer. Isn’t that exactly what the Tuojia want?"

Jiang Jiamian’s voice was cold. "The Tuojia are indeed insidious. But have you ever thought that without the emperor’s suspicion and fear, their petty schemes would never have succeeded?"

"Great An will not perish because it loses the Jiang family!" He said sharply. "It will perish because of that foolish emperor’s paranoia and selfishness. Wake up!"

Jiang Qingshan stared at him in silence for a long time.

How could he not resent the emperor?

His father, Jiang Jiamian’s grandfather, had been executed just days ago.

But resentment alone changed nothing.

The people were innocent.

He feared war not for the emperor’s sake, but for the suffering it would bring upon the masses.

"I know Father has his principles." Jiang Jiamian sighed softly. "I won’t force you. But I can’t watch you die. I have a way to escape. Once I choose this path, I will stand in complete opposition to the emperor, and the war you fear may truly erupt."

He turned back and looked at Jiang Qingshan earnestly.

"If Father follows me, I promise you a peaceful and prosperous era within a few years. If you refuse... then Father, forgive me for being unfilial."

Jiang Qingshan’s hands clenched tightly against his knees. He closed his eyes, struggling silently.

After a long time, he opened them again.

"The emperor is unjust. The Jiang family has been wronged. I am not blindly loyal. Your grandfather truly died because of the emperor’s suspicion."

Since his son had already spoken this far, he was prepared to gamble everything.

The Jiang family had protected Great An for decades, only to meet such an end. What room was left for hesitation?

Jiang Jiamian finally smiled faintly. He lifted his robe and sat down again. "Then Father will have to endure a few more days of hardship. In a few days, I’ll find a way to get you out. Once you leave the city, head south. We’ll meet again at Huainan Pass."

Jiang Qingshan looked at him in disbelief, then glanced at the heavily guarded prison. Doubt crept into his eyes. "Are you certain?"

This was the Grand Tribunal prison...

Jiang Jiamian smiled calmly. "Of course."

In this dilapidated prison, switching out one or two people would be easy.

He wasn’t acting yet, not because he couldn’t, but because he needed to wait.

He needed to see whether Xiao Jinan would follow the original plot and send someone to request the emperor’s blessing for marriage.

At that point, Jiang Qingshan could be replaced and safely removed.

As for himself... there was no need to say it.

He would marry Xiao Jinan!