Chapter 783 - 231 Death News_2
Everything was arranged by Yin Zhan, and as his son, he had no choice but to obey. He was also of the Empress Dowager’s blood, and even if unwilling, it was too late to turn back once aboard the ship. The man left behind by Yin Zhan told him that if Yin Zhan could return alive, everything would be discussed upon his return. If Yin Zhan did not return alive, he was to take Jiang Li and raise troops from Qingzhou, making the Yangtze River the boundary. The Yin Family Troops in Yunzhong numbered a hundred thousand, and another hundred thousand lay hidden in Qingzhou. Should Yin Zhan not return and Jih Heng still live, he was to use Jiang Li as bait to lure and kill Jih Heng, to prevent future troubles.
Yin Zhili had no right to refuse these matters. By the time he was informed, Yin Zhan had already vanished. The lives of everyone in the Yin Household depended on Yin Zhili alone. If Yin Zhili did not comply, the people of the Yin Household, Yin Zhiqing, Madam Yin, all the servants, the uncles and elders he knew, the master who had taught him martial arts, and the soldiers who had fought alongside Yin Zhan on the battlefield would all perish. With so many lives on his shoulders, Yin Zhili couldn’t bear the responsibility. He had no other way.
After a long time, Yin Zhili finally turned to look at Jiang Li, and he asked in a soft voice, "Miss Jiang... do you really like Duke Su?"
Jiang Li felt a chill in her heart. With that one sentence, she could glimpse into Yin Zhili’s inner thoughts. She paused before saying, "Yes."
Upon hearing Jiang Li’s response, a pain shot through Yin Zhili’s heart, and a dark, complex emotion rose within him, which he forcibly suppressed. He said, "Then how does Duke Su treat Miss Jiang?"
"If you intend to use me as bait to lure and threaten Jih Heng, you’d better abandon the thought," Jiang Li said coldly. "Yin Zhili, don’t make me lose respect for you."
Upon hearing this, Yin Zhili gave a bitter smile and said, "Miss Jiang looking down on me is one thing; even I can’t stand myself, so why would I care about what others think?"
His expression was suddenly one of desperation, with the reckless abandon of someone breaking the pot they can’t lift. If others saw this, they would be shocked, unable to imagine that this man, once so graceful and composed, could now appear so wretched.
"However, I too hope that day never comes, for you’ll surely hate me all your life if you have to personally kill the man you love. I don’t want you to harbor any resentment towards me," he said.