Chapter 9 — Brother Wanted To Harm Me, I Gave Him A Gift

But in this life... I want him - blood debt paid with blood. Reporting back to the newspaper, Tong Chieu Da became a strategist for the Vuong family to rebel, and Hong Co was also in the rebel ranks. In his previous life, he was the one who quelled the rebellion. In this life, he is a rebel. How ridiculous! Below Dung citadel, the Qin family's army was like splitting bamboo, and the rebels were continuously defeated. On the city wall, I coldly looked down at the army fleeing in chaos. Then I saw Tong Chieu Da. A white shirt stained with blood, standing out in a sea of people fighting. He raised his head, his eyes as venomous as a snake, locking me in the middle of countless flying spears. The corners of his lips curled up, his smile twisted and distorted.

“Jiang Tuyet Ngam!”

He screamed like a hiss, his voice piercing through the sound of war drums:

“You thought you won?!”

I slowly raised the bow. Name it, pull the rope. Just like what he did to me. The arrow tore through the wind, hissing and rushing away like a scythe from the sky. Tong Chieu Da's pupils shrank violently. His face transformed into extreme, unbelievable fear. In this life, I will not forgive. One arrow… returns everything. he also knows fear. he also knows pain. The moment the arrow pierced straight into his heart, his face froze. His eyes were panicked, like someone who finally understood the despair of the betrayed. Hong Co rushed out from the middle of the chaos and hugged Tong Chieu Da's collapsed body. She raised her head to look at me — There was no hatred in her eyes. There is only liberation. Then she pulled out the dagger and stabbed it straight into her heart. She still chose to die with him. But what does Tong Chieu Da rely on? What is the basis for people to risk their lives to follow? A traitor, cold-blooded, despicable to the extreme. Does he deserve it?! What a foolish woman to the extreme. Tan Tu Chuoc stood quietly next to me, without saying a word, just gently holding my hand.

“It's over.”

He said softly. I looked down at the battlefield strewn with corpses and suddenly burst into laughter. It's finally over. Years of hatred, attachment, and heartache all vanished into thin air with that arrow. The wind blew away. On the day of the triumphal return to the capital, the first snow of the season fell, filling the sky with white. At the end of the long snow-covered street, Tan Tu Chuoc stood waiting for me, behind him was the main gate of the Tan family's mansion, brightly lit with flowers. He reached out his hand and softly called out:

“Giang Tuyet Ngam…”

“Let's go home.”

I held his hand tightly and walked into the snowy rain in the middle of winter. In this life, we can finally live for ourselves. Not for anyone. Not out of hatred. Just because we want to be happy. I won't stay in the capital. After quelling the rebellion, I brought the loyalty of the remnants of the Jiang family and returned to Jinling. In this life, I don't want to be anyone's wife, nor a chess piece in someone else's hands. I want to be the owner of the Giang family. Be your own boss. After only two years, the Jiang clan's brand flag was spread throughout the South and North of the mainland. Silk, tea, salt, iron, water transport... From the Western Regions to Indonesia, there is no place without my footprints. The calculation industry was once learned to please Song Chieu Da, but now it helps me become rich. The talent of horseback riding and archery was once practiced for survival, but has now become a weapon to protect oneself through mountains and forests. Every spring and autumn, we personally escort supplies to the border. When the Qin Palace army saw me, they all smiled in admiration:

“Giang Duong's family is here!”

In the fifth year, spring begins. Tan Tu Chuoc took off his armor and stood alone on one horse to Kim Lang. He rushed into my accounting room and slammed the tiger talisman on the table:

"Giang Tuyet Ngam! Gia is no longer a general!"

I strum the abacus, not bothering to lift my head:

“Oh, so what are you going to do?”

He grabbed the book, leaned close to my face, every word was clear:

“Be her husband.”

Three days later, Kim Lang's flower lanterns were tied. It wasn't Miss Giang who married the general's palace, but the Jiang family married little General Qin. When the palanquin arrived at the door, the whole city came out to watch the excitement. Tan Tu Chuoc was wearing a red dress, riding a horse, looking at the ladies throwing handkerchiefs and laughing coldly:

“What are you looking at?

Gia is the one to get married! Never seen it before!?” He was still the same as when we first met - wild, straightforward, not holding back on anyone. The following year, my son – baby An An – was born. Tan Tu Chuoc was so happy that he jumped up and down, thought about the name for three days and three nights, and finally came up with the word: Duc. Five years later, the Giang Thi fleet discovered a new island far away overseas. A new journey...begins again. (FULL TEXT)