Chapter 192

Chapter 192: So You Do Have Things You Care About Light cascaded down from overhead. Fu Yuanzhou stared at Jiang Shixu, his gaze cold and sinister. "What a rare guest. Why would Young Master Jiang grace a prison with his presence?" Bandages wrapped around Fu Yuanzhou's head and arms. The day he had attempted to assassinate Jiang Shixu with the resolve of mutual destruction, Fu Yuanzhou had been gravely wounded. From the moment the traitor on Jiang Shixu's side had tipped him off, he had known his cause was lost. Saison's term was coming to an end, and the public had long grown weary of his rule. Given the political climate, it was nearly impossible for Saison to be re-elected as Prime Minister. Once Ensha took power, she would inevitably unite multiple factions to crush him. After receiving the news, Fu Yuanzhou had begun planning his fake death, secretly fleeing to Huaguo with the intention of taking Jiang Shixu down with him. Zhou Yu had urged him to survive, to live out the rest of his life under an assumed name. Fu Yuanzhou let out a light laugh, his gaze contemptuous. "Do I look like the kind of man who tucks his head into his shell like a turtle?" "Since Jiang Shixu wants me dead..." Fu Yuanzhou's long eyes narrowed halfway, a cold gleam flashing in their depths, "then I'll drag him down with me." The reason Fu Yuanzhou's power had grown so rapidly over the past few years was thanks to Saison, his powerful backer. Over the years, Fu Yuanzhou had conducted those shady dealings, and committing crimes had become second nature to him. As the saying goes, the most profitable methods are all written in the criminal code—Fu Yuanzhou was living proof of that. Before Saison's downfall, Jiang Shixu's confrontations with Fu Yuanzhou had always been hampered by Saison's interference. No matter how much power Jiang Shixu wielded in Jiangcheng, he couldn't openly oppose A-Country's Prime Minister Saison. Let alone resort to something as absurd as hiring assassins to kill Saison... In truth, since Fu Yuanzhou had returned to his home country last year, Jiang Shixu had been secretly supporting Ensha's rise to power. It was precisely because Fu Yuanzhou had learned of this that he had gone mad and sent people to openly assassinate Jiang Shixu in A-Country. ... "What? Let me guess—has Jiang Yi's poison finally taken effect?" Fu Yuanzhou's eyes gleamed, a smile curling at his lips. Jiang Shixu's expression remained calm. His icy gaze lingered on Fu Yuanzhou for a moment before a cold, sharp voice emerged from his throat: "You ordered Xu Jingxuan to administer the poison." His tone was resolute—a statement, not a question. Fu Yuanzhou's brow arched slightly, his long eyes holding a smile as he replied with a rogue's nonchalance: "Is that so? I can't quite recall." Jiang Shixu didn't take the bait. He slowly pulled a photograph from his document folder. "Remember this place?" He held the photo up before Fu Yuanzhou's eyes. The man who had just been smiling in provocation immediately dropped his expression, grinding his teeth: "Jiang Shixu!" Three short words, yet they carried Fu Yuanzhou's towering rage. Jiang Shixu remained utterly at ease. "Right here." "What did you do to my mother's spirit tablet?" Fu Yuanzhou's eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead. Jiang Shixu curled his lips. "I thought you had no heart. Turns out you do have things you care about after all." "Tell me! What did you do to my mother's spirit tablet and grave?" Fu Yuanzhou was on the brink of exploding with fury. "Nothing much. The weather was nice that day, so I invited your mother out to enjoy some sun." Jiang Shixu's voice was cold, his tone perfectly calm. "That cemetery was so grand, I thought your mother was truly buried there. Only after digging it up did I discover it was just a cenotaph." His airy tone made it sound as casual as deciding what to have for dinner. Fu Yuanzhou erupted in an instant. He lunged to his feet, charging at Jiang Shixu. The prison guards on both sides pinned him down hard. "Jiang Shixu! I'll kill you!" Fu Yuanzhou roared, his eyes bloodshot. Jiang Shixu clapped his hands. Lu Ze walked in, carrying that black urn in his arms. "Young Master." Lu Ze spoke in a low voice to Jiang Shixu. "Mm." At the sight of that all-too-familiar urn, Fu Yuanzhou completely lost his mind. He shrieked and howled, his gaze at Jiang Shixu wrapped in thick hatred, as if he wanted to devour him alive. "I'll give you one last chance." Jiang Shixu sat across from Fu Yuanzhou in a leisurely posture, his long legs casually crossed. "Tell me the truth about Jiang Yi's poisoning, and I'll leave your mother's ashes in one intact urn." "Jiang Shixu! I'll kill you!" Fu Yuanzhou struggled violently, trying to lunge forward and tear Jiang Shixu apart with his teeth. Jiang Shixu smiled, rising unhurriedly to his feet. He suddenly lifted his leg and drove a vicious kick into Fu Yuanzhou's abdomen. Fu Yuanzhou's abdominal muscles were solid, but Jiang Shixu had put ninety percent of his strength into that kick. Even as tough as Fu Yuanzhou was, internal damage was likely. Fu Yuanzhou fell silent, but he didn't cry out in pain—he only furrowed his brow. "Have you made your decision?" Impatience was already creeping into Jiang Shixu's brow. After a long moment, Fu Yuanzhou stared at Jiang Shixu and spoke coldly: "That's right. I ordered Xu Jingxuan to poison Jiang Yi." "Xu Jingxuan refused at first. She said she would only do it if I made Ruan Chutang die." Jiang Shixu's eyes sharpened, all color draining from his face. So Fu Yuanzhou's targeting of Chu Tang wasn't merely because Fu Yuanzhou wanted to make him suffer. So this was a transaction between him and Xu Jingxuan. Fu Yuanzhou caught sight of Jiang Shixu's face twisted in agony, and actually burst out laughing. "Hahahaha, didn't see this coming, did you, Jiang Shixu? The little sister you've doted on since she was a child not only harbors unspeakable feelings for you, but also wants to put the person you love to death. Hahahaha, how pathetic." Jiang Shixu lowered his lashes, his eyes clouded with obscure emotions. A moment later, Jiang Shixu slowly raised his gaze to meet Fu Yuanzhou's eyes. His voice was icy and bone-chilling. "Very well." The next second, he signaled Lu Ze with a look. Lu Ze understood and hurled the clay urn in his hands to the ground with force. "No—" Fu Yuanzhou roared in fury, his eyes splitting with rage. The clay urn shattered, and the ashes inside spilled out. Fu Yuanzhou's eyes were bloodshot, his features contorted into a vicious grimace. Jiang Shixu stood coldly before Fu Yuanzhou, looking down at him from above, watching his unbearable anguish, and finally felt a sliver of vengeful satisfaction. In the end, Jiang Shixu had Lu Ze fetch a broom to clean up. Fu Yuanzhou watched helplessly as Fu Nian's ashes were swept into the trash bin.