"It’s excellent that you know what’s good for you." General Lei finally lifted his head to look at Jiang, this time around for a much longer period. His cold eyes stared at his son like he was a loathsome insect he wanted to quash and removed out of sight. "You will take your sister, Yuer’s place, and posed as her to become the Empress elect."
Jiang was stunned and instantly became dizzy. It was like lightning had struck his head, he couldn't understand or believe what his father was saying. He thought there must be something wrong with his hearing, that he was imagining things. There was no way his father would say something so absurd.
"But father, I am disfigured; a trash that can’t cultivate and more importantly, a male. So, how would I dare to take my sister’s place and what does it mean to become an Empress elect?." Jiang quickly stated, he didn't want his father to think that he was refusing to follow his orders or shying away from the first responsibility ever entrusted to him. But he had to make his father understand why he wasn't a good choice, and that he was making a grievous mistake.
"Shut up! Do you dare to question my authority? Do you think I don’t know what a worthless piece of trash you are? No one has ever seen your sister’s face since she always wears a veil and this you shall also do, although your sister isn’t disfigured like you. So long as you put on a veil while quietly staying in the Palace and making sure you don’t have much contact with the Emperor, everything will be fine, and there will be no problems, so trash this is all you need to know and do regarding this matter. more importantly, you will cover that damn face of yours beginning from this instance. Those teeth, eyes and the detestable drools coming out of your mouth every now and then sicken me." General Lei said harshly. Jiang immediately tore off a piece from his robe and did as he was told.
Jiang berated himself for not hiding his face when he was dragged here. He always kept his face covered whenever he sneaked out of the forest without the Lei's Manor's knowledge so as not to freak out people. But this time he forgot because of how abruptly he was taken out of his home and brought over here.
After covering his face as best as he could, he tried to speak up again, "But father… " He hadn't even finished his sentence when General Lei furiously banged his fists on the wooden table in front of him which resulted in some ink being spilled on a few documents written in brown paper. Jiang guessed they must be important seeing as how his father’s eyes turned bloody red. Right now, rage could be said to be his middle name. Then he bellowed, "See what you have done? Don’t you understand the word 'shut up'! You only speak when I order you too. Since the day you were conceived, whenever you are around, bad things happen… by the way, stop calling me father. I am not your father… I will never be your father; to you, I am General Lei, a disgrace like yourself can never be of my blood, never sully the Lei’s reputation by claiming to be from this Manor. The only exception is, if your disguise was uncovered while you are in the Imperial Palace, then you are to say that you are just an imposter who took your sister’s place. say you were jealous of her, just make up whatever stories that won't endanger my Lei family. Do you understand?"
Jiang couldn’t speak as his mind was in a mess. Moreover, he believed he still wasn’t allowed to speak.
“Now is the time to speak, you dummy! Do you understand all that I have just said?”
“Yes, General Lei.” Jiang responded in a small voice. He felt his heart break to pieces, he felt unwanted, it wasn't like this feeling was new but the pain seemed more profound.
Jiang watched silently as his father started chanting a spell. He didn’t know why his father would chant a spell. But once the spell was completed, his father raises his right hand in his direction. Jiang could intuitively sense danger.
The sweat that had formed on Jiang’s forehead was gathered and mixed together with the partially dried blood on almost every part of his body, even the blood that soiled his clothes began to gather together, Jiang had initially felt a kind of joy, that just maybe his father took pity on him and wanted to clean him up and make him look more presentable due to how the spell he chanted acted, however, he soon came to the realization that he was only deluding himself.
The strange mixture of blood and sweat began to form itself into a scarlet whip. The whip, although it was created from a mixture of liquid substances, appeared to be very sturdy.
Without giving any hint or warning, General Lei made a grasping motion and used the scarlet whip to coil itself ruthlessly around Jiang’s neck.
Jiang never expected water or his blood to be used in such a deadly manner. He couldn't breathe and moved his hands to the whip and pulled hard. He needed to get it off his neck. As the whip slowly tighten bit by bit, it became so painful that his eyes gradually began to bulge then lose light. He desperately clawed at the whip leaving scratches on wherever his fingers came into contact with. Despite struggling to free himself, it was of no use as the scarlet whip was too strong and tight for him to loosen.
Jiang wondered how a weapon made from a water elemental spell could be this strong. Shouldn’t anything made from liquid substances be gentle and not so deadly? He realised there was still so much that he didn’t know about the elementals of this world. But more importantly, he was afraid that his father did really want to kill him.
For the first time ever, Jiang saw his father used his element affinity and almost immediately figured out that he was probably a Water Elemental. He must have upgraded his ability to the point that he could control not only water but anything liquid, just like he had done with Jiang’s sweat and blood. From his sneaky visits to the towns or villages around the forest he resided, Jiang had come to hear of tales about such genius elementals that existed in this world.
General Lei raised his hands upwards, and Jiang, following the motion of his hand, gradually began to levitate as well. He went from kneeling to standing on the floor of his father’s study room, and finally to levitating towards the ceiling. General Lei moved his hand forward, rapidly and furiously and as his whip loosen from Jiang's neck. His actions resulted in Jiang's body been slammed against the wall some feet behind him. Jiang then slumped to the floor, his back a bloody mess.
Jiang wondered how many bowls of medicine he would have to drink to recover from his wretched state. He worried about how difficult it would be to search for the herbs he needed for his treatment in the forest like he used to do when he or his late mother became sick.
"You dare defy me!" General Lei slowly walked towards Jiang in a menacing manner and kicked him on his stomach which slammed him against the wall yet again. Jiang was truly baffled this time around. Didn’t he just agree to his father’s unreasonable demands, so how did he defy him? Or was his father just trying to find an excuse to beat him up?
"Fa… exalted General Lei, I would never dare to defy you. Your wish is my command. Nevertheless, there is a matter that might hinder your plans for making me take my sister’s place. My hair colour is different from my sister’s." Jiang struggled to explain through clenched teeth.
"Oh, that's true. Your hair is white, a colour that signifies misfortune while Lei Yue’s hair is silky black. Hmm… we will have to do something about that before your departure." General Lei muttered as he walked back to his seat.
"Remember what I said earlier, do not get caught by the Emperor or anyone else since the prestige of our family is on the line. But if you are caught, you must bear the consequences alone. Blame it on your greed and hatred of your sister. Say that it is for that reason you choose to hide your sister and took her place without the knowledge of the rest of the family. We, the people of the Lei Manor, do not know anything about this matter, do you understand me? you see, I have helped you to think up a story to give the emperor if you are caught so you don't have to bother your little brain by doing as I had previously asked of you" He nonchalantly stated, as if he had just done Jiang a big favour, this General Lei's skin was really thick, he was truly shameless, and yet to his unreasonable demands, Jiang acknowledged them weakly.
General Lei didn't care that Jiang was still bleeding from the wounds caused by the guards for dragging him on the ground all the way to his study, as well as the wounds he also inflicted on Jiang by slamming his back to the wall, General Lei didn't care that Jiang's face had become very pale and was almost bleeding to death. He didn't even have the courtesy to call for someone to assist his son as he ordered, "You may leave."
Jiang struggled to get up on his own and dragged his bloody form, he was heading outside the General's study room with a lot of questions on his mind, ones he didn't dare ask the General for answers. Jiang didn't really know what next to do? was he expected to go back to the forest and then called back when needed or was he suppose to hang around the Lei's Manor? Where exactly was he supposed to leave and go to?
However, his worries were resolved once he came outside the study room, a servant immediately appeared and looked at him scornfully. "Master has ordered me to take you to where you will be staying. We also need to get you to put on some weight as Master expects your figure to resemble that of the Young Mistress. As you are all skin and bones now, you should be grateful to Master for his consideration and benevolence." She informed him to which Jiang had no appropriate response. He just nodded his head in agreement with whatever the servant girl said, and what was expected of him. Jiang took note of the fact that even the servants treated him like dirt. They scorned him at every opportunity and avoided wherever his feet trod on as if he had a deadly disease on his person and had infected the areas he passed through.
Earlier, Jiang had wanted to ask his father the reason why his sister couldn't be the Emperor's Empress elect, but he was painfully aware that his father wouldn't even condescend to give him an answer. At most, he’d get a berating or another beating. It wasn't until much later that he heard from the servants that Young Mistress Lei Yue had eloped with her lover shortly after receiving the Imperial edict.
Jiang became even more curious after hearing this piece of news. He didn’t know much about the affairs of this world. However, he had heard stories of the Emperor’s mighty, powerful and dignified personality. He was said to be every woman’s dream and even men lusted over his handsome features, his grace, and overall demeanour. So, why would Lei Yue, who he knew to be a very vain and worldly person, pass up such a rare, once in a lifetime opportunity to run away with some unknown lover? Jiang had so many questions and worries but there was none willing to give him answers or reassurances.
How his father wasn’t angered by Lei Yue’s actions baffled Jiang. Wasn’t elopement a serious matter? It could tarnish the Lei family’s reputation as well if it was ever discovered, so why then was his father not bothered by the so-called Lei's family reputation in this case. Moreover, she had acted in defiance of an Imperial edict. Even after committing such a capital offense why was his father not even the tiniest bit angry with her? Maybe it was due to the fact that Lei Yue was his one and only most beloved, cherished and doted upon daughter, the Young Mistress of the Lei's manor, but still, she didn't seem to mind sentencing nine generations of the Lei family with her elopement, it felt quite fishy that the family didn't hold it against her in the slightest bit even though the position to be the emperor's woman was thrown aside by her actions. If young mistress Lei Yue was to honour the imperial edict then won't that be good news for the Lei's? Won't they have even more power as his father had always wanted? So why discard such a great chance to finally obtain his wishes.
So many questions but with no answer to them all, Jiang felt a bit dishearten and uneasy by this at that time.
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