The good times of spring always passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the heat of summer arrived. Lu Zhu had bought large chunks of ice outside and placed them in the house. The Empress Dowager had rewarded her with a lot of money. Although ice was a good thing, Jiang Ruan did not lack it.
The iced lotus leaf and lotus seed porridge was served by Lian Qiao. Jiang Ruan tasted it and found that it was sweet and delicious. It was indeed the best taste of summer. Although there were not many bamboos planted in the western corner of the courtyard, the verdant green color was indeed beautiful enough. Therefore, although the sun was scorching outside, Ruan Ju always had a sense of comfort.
Lu Zhu was greedy for the cold and did all the embroidery work in the house. Jiang Ruan did not say anything. Tian Zhu was like a decoration, sitting at the side and watching Lu Zhu embroider a handkerchief. In fact, it was not that Tian Zhu was not outstanding enough. On the contrary, if her embroidery was taken out and said to be the work of a famous embroiderer in the capital, no one would doubt it. Although Jiang Ruan usually wore brightly colored clothes, she did not care much about these things. She simply told Tian Zhu not to do anything. She just needed to pay attention to gathering information.
It was cooler in the house, but the sun outside seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. It was already afternoon. After eating lunch and eating a bowl of cold dessert, Jiang Ruan also felt a little sleepy. Just as she was about to get up and rest on the couch, someone came to the courtyard.
It was Old Jiang Madame's maid, Du Juan. Tian Zhu asked, "Why are you here?"
Du Juan smiled and said, "Old Master's former colleague came to visit Old Madame and gave her two bolts of chou-yu silk. He asked nubi to bring one bolt to Miss."
Jiang Ruan said, "Third Younger Sister and Fourth Younger Sister also have one?"
Du Juan smiled as she looked at Jiang Ruan. Nowadays, in the Jiang fu, no one dared to look down on this Eldest Young Miss. Although when the late Furen was still alive, she had been given the cold shoulder by Master, and the position of the late Furen, Eldest Young Master, and Eldest Young Miss in the fu could be trampled upon by even a maidservant. Originally, they had thought that it would be impossible for them to rise again in this lifetime. Who knew that Eldest Young Master would become a high-ranking military officer of the Jin court, and Eldest Miss would become the current Junzhu. Even without the title of Junzhu, the General fu was clearly supporting her, so who would dare to look down on her? Therefore, it could be said that people's encounters were truly wonderful. She opened her mouth and said, "No, there are only two bolts. Old Furen wanted to give them to Furen, but Furen said that she was old and that it would look better if they were given to the young ladies of the residence. In terms of status, you and Second Young Miss deserve it. Moreover, Third Young Miss and Fourth Young Miss are indeed a bit young. "
In her heart, Jiang Ruan almost laughed in spite of herself. Jiang Li and Jiang Dan were both young ladies of marriageable age. The four of them were similar in age, so it was necessary to differentiate between the di and shu wives. There was nothing wrong with this, but it was Xia Yan who had brought it up. Jiang Ruan ordered Bai Zhi to receive the chou-yu silk thread and said to Du Juan, "If that's the case, then I'll have to trouble Du Juan jie to thank zumu on my behalf."
Du Juan hurriedly smiled and declined, "Eldest Miss, you are going to make this servant suffer." She looked at Jiang Ruan's smiling appearance and sighed in her heart. Normally, Jiang Ruan did not put on airs. Even after she had been promoted to Junzhu, she did not deliberately request the servants to treat her with the courtesy of a Junzhu. However, as long as she stood there and glanced over, it would make people's hearts feel heavy. It was as if she had the demeanor of a noble in the palace.
After chatting with Jiang Ruan for a while, Du Juan hurriedly left.
After Du Juan left, Jiang Ruan ordered Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao to open the chou-yu silk thread that Du Juan had brought. The chou-yu silk thread originated from the Persian region and was very rare in the Great Jin Dynasty. It would not be an exaggeration to say that such a bolt was worth a hundred taels of gold. In fact, it was a brightly colored silk thread. Sure enough, as soon as Du Juan and Bai Zhi opened it, Lu Zhu exclaimed in surprise.
The silk thread was as white as jade and seemed to emit the faint luster of a pearl. Just looking at it would make one endlessly happy. If it was used to embroider a flower on a piece of clothing …. She would really be in the limelight among the noble ladies of the capital.
Lu Zhu excitedly said, "This silk thread is really beautiful. Why not let Tian Zhu embroider a flower? No, no, no, a flower is too vulgar. It would be a waste of such beautiful silk thread. Why not embroider a firefly? Tian Zhu's hands are so dexterous, she would definitely be able to do a wonderful job."
Tian Zhu walked to the front of the chou-yu silk thread and stretched out her hand to gently stroke the silk thread. Lu Zhu said with distress, "Be gentler. Don't damage the silk thread. "
Just as she finished speaking, she saw Tian Zhu bend down and gently sniff at the silk thread.
Jiang Ruan looked at her thoughtfully. After a moment, Tian Zhu straightened up and stretched out her hand to roll up the chou-yu silk thread and put it aside. Her eyebrows quietly wrinkled.
Jiang Ruan looked at her thoughtfully and asked, "What's the problem?"
"The chou-yu silk thread itself is not a problem," Tian Zhu said, "but this bolt has a kind of perfume added to it. When combined with the chou-yu silk thread, it will have a special effect."
Jiang Ruan raised her eyebrows, "What effect?"
"When a pregnant woman smells this fragrance, she will definitely miscarry within three days. Even a young girl with a pure body will not be able to conceive a child if she smells it too much, "Tian Zhu said lightly.
"What?" Lian Qiao was shocked. She was so angry that she almost rushed up and tore the silk thread, "How can this be? Why would the old furen send this kind of silk thread over? "
Tian Zhu said, "The perfume on top is still very fresh. It should have been soaked overnight to dry."
"It's not zumu, it's Xia Yan." Jiang Ruan smiled slightly. Although Xia Yan was currently pregnant and could not show her face in many matters, she was still firmly in control. The items sent by Old Jiang Madame's old friend naturally had to go through Xia Yan's hands in order to be accounted for. If Xia Yan wanted to do something, it would be as easy as turning over her hand. As early as when Du Juan had said that the chou-yu silk thread had only been sent to her and Jiang Su Su, she had already felt that something was wrong. Xia Yan really did not disappoint her.
"What does she want to do? She really has enormous guts to actually dare to plot against Miss in this fu! "Bai Zhi was also very angry, but she no longer wanted Jiang Quan to seek justice for her like she did in the past.
"She is not only doing this for me," Jiang Ruan said with a smile, "Fifth Yiniang's belly is already three months old."
Hong Ying's belly was getting bigger and bigger, and Xia Yan was afraid that she could no longer sit still. However, Hong Ying was watertight and guarded her small courtyard to the death. Not even a fly could fly in. Jiang Quan had also promised Hong Ying to use her own small kitchen, so it would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens for Xia Yan to make a move. However, the child in Hong Ying's belly was always a thorn in her heart. The son of the Jiang fu could only crawl out of her belly.
Xia Yan had been extremely anxious to come up with this idea. Although Jiang Quan did not like Jiang Ruan, everyone in the fu knew that Hong Ying and Jiang Ruan had a good relationship. The servants were all Taoist priests, so it was understandable that Jiang Ruan would naturally side with Hong Ying compared to her stepmother Xia Yan. Therefore, although Jiang Quan was displeased, he did not stop her.
Hong Ying would often come to the Ruan Ju to sit. This chou-yu silk thread was so rare and precious that even a daughter of Jiang Ruan's age would be impatient to use it on her clothes. If she really wore clothes embroidered with chou-yu silk and sat with Hong Ying for a while, Hong Ying would have a miscarriage. When the time came to investigate, Xia Yan could easily say that each person had a bolt of chou-yu silk thread. Jiang Su Su did not have any problems, so the problem was certainly not with the material. In the end, it would become an accident where Jiang Ruan poisoned the child in Yiniang's belly.
Killing two birds with one stone would not only get rid of the child in Hong Ying's belly, but it would also give Jiang Ruan a vicious reputation. So what if she was a junzhu? With such a crime weighing on her, she similarly could not bear it.
Xia Yan's masterful calculation really made people gasp in amazement.
Jiang Ruan smiled slightly. After waiting for so long, this soft tortoise had finally stretched out its limbs. Since it had moved, it would depend on who was more agile.
Tian Zhu muttered to herself, "Miss, should this subordinate exchange this silk thread with Jiang Su Su's?" Even though she was now with Jiang Ruan, Tian Zhu still referred to herself as' subordinate 'as if she was with Xiao Shao.
"There is no need to use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken," Jiang Ruan shook her head, "There is no need for you to take action, someone will solve this problem for us." Since Xia Yan wanted to deal with Hong Ying, how could Hong Ying not retaliate?
She asked Tian Zhu, "You know poison?"
"I once followed Master to deal with the people of the Southern Frontier, so I know a little. The spice on it is not rare, "Tian Zhu said.
"Very good, is there a way to detoxify it?"
"I will try."
…
As usual, when Hong Ying came to Ruan Ju, she took the tea that Bai Zhi had poured for her and looked at Jiang Ruan's clothes with some surprise, "Your embroidery is very beautiful, the silk thread seems to be glowing."
On Jiang Ruan's bright red chrysanthemum pattern, a snow-white Luan was clearly embroidered. The embroidery was very exquisite, and the Luan was vivid and lifelike. The silk thread also faintly emitted a kind of pearl color, which made the Luan seem as if it was about to fly out of the clothes.
Jiang Ruan smiled, "The chou-yu silk thread that zumu sent is very beautiful. If Yiniang likes it, you can take the remaining silk thread back."
This kind of silk thread was very rare, and Hong Ying was very fond of beauty. When she heard this, she was overjoyed and immediately took the material back.
After Hong Ying left, Tian Zhu looked at Jiang Ruan strangely. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Miss, why did you do this? Wouldn't it be better to have nubi exchange the silk thread? "
"Naturally, it's not good." Jiang Ruan smiled slightly, "Xia Yan naturally needs to be dealt with, but Hong Ying is too clever. For a clever person, if there is no leverage, it is difficult to guarantee their future intentions."
Of course, Jiang Ruan did not tell Tian Zhu the most important reason. Because of her relationship with Pei 'er in her previous life, although she would not pity the child in Xia Yan's womb, she would not take the initiative to kill it. Letting Tian Zhu make a move was one thing, and guiding Hong Ying to do it was another. In her previous life, Xia Yan and Jiang Su Su had been very proficient in using a borrowed knife to kill people. In this life, she would not be bad.
Jiang Ruan instructed Hong Ying, "Tomorrow morning, go and tell Fifth Yiniang that the silk thread contained a perfume that causes miscarriage. That was Furen's doing."
…
The next morning, the sky was just beginning to brighten. While Jiang Ruan was still freshening up, Hong Ying hurriedly rushed into Ruan Ju with the chou-yu silk thread. Perhaps it was because of the sudden news that her heart was heavy, Hong Ying's expression carried a rare anxiety, and there was no trace of her usual calm elegance. She immediately asked, "Eldest Young Lady, what's going on?"
Yesterday, she really liked the chou-yu silk thread, so she brought it back to the courtyard. She was still thinking about what kind of flower to make it, but she did not expect that early in the morning, Tian Zhu, who was by Jiang Ruan's side, would come over to inform her that the chou-yu silk thread had been tampered with, and that it was something that could cause miscarriage.
Jiang Ruan poured her a cup of tea, "Yiniang, don't be anxious, I have also been tricked in this matter. She sighed. If this kind of perfume was used by a young lady in the boudoir, in the future, I am afraid that … … they would not be able to conceive."
Hong Ying stared blankly, this was something she had never thought of. She looked at Jiang Ruan hesitantly, "Eldest Miss, then what are you going to do now?"
"What else can I do? Go and find a doctor to take a look." Jiang Ruan shook her head.
Hong Ying said, "How can this be? Furen is so vicious, actually wanting to harm Young Miss, and even the child in this concubine's womb. This kind of behavior is really hateful. This lowly concubine is just a servant, while Young Miss is a golden branch, a jade leaf, a dignified eldest di daughter of the Jiang fu. How can this be tolerated? The Empress Dowager loves Young Miss dearly, so if Young Miss were to report this matter to the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager would definitely uphold justice for Young Miss. "
Jiang Ruan glanced at her with a smile that was not a smile. Hong Ying was also not a fool, yet she still wanted to use her to deal with Xia Yan? How could there be such an easy thing in this world? She was also not a Bodhisattva, so why should she sweep away the stumbling blocks for the common people?
"Yiniang, do you really think that it would be better to enter the palace and report to the Empress Dowager?" Jiang Ruan asked.
Hong Ying's heart skipped a beat as she heard the hidden meaning in Jiang Ruan's words. Hesitantly, she said, "This … … Is there something wrong with this?"
"Yiniang, you must think carefully. If this chou-yu silk is used on the body, within three days, it will definitely cause a miscarriage. To tell you the truth, my Ruan Ju is actually not very clean. Moreover, when Yiniang carried the chou-yu silk back yesterday, many servant girls saw it on the way. The Jiang fu is not big, so such a small matter can be found out with a careful investigation. Since Yiniang is pregnant, and there are no signs of a miscarriage while carrying the chou-yu silk, if Furen were to find out, I wonder what she would think? "
Hong Ying stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly understood the meaning of Jiang Ruan's words and felt a chill run down her spine.
Jiang Ruan continued, "I can naturally enter the palace and report to the Empress Dowager, but if Furen is really found out, she will certainly not surrender without a fight. She hates Yiniang so much that even if she dies, she will certainly drag Yiniang down with her. At that time, the imperial physicians in the palace will not be able to be bribed by ordinary people, and if there is any problem, it will be obvious. If Yiniang is like this, I am afraid that she will also end up with a dismal ending. I have nothing, and Furen will eventually have retribution for harming me, but Yiniang, are you willing to let everything that you have painstakingly obtained go up in smoke? Is Yiniang willing? "
Every word was like a spell to bewitch people's minds. Hong Ying muttered, "Not willing, I am not willing."
Jiang Ruan smiled slightly.
Hong Ying looked at Jiang Ruan and suddenly grabbed Jiang Ruan's sleeve, "Miss, Miss, save this concubine. This concubine does not want to be conspired against by Furen, this concubine, this concubine only wants to have a foothold in the fu! " She finally understood that only the Eldest Young Miss of the Jiang fu, the current Hong 'an Junzhu, could save her. Although Jiang Ruan did not say anything, Hong Ying knew that she definitely had a way.
"Yiniang need not be anxious." Jiang Ruan patted her hand, and her smile became more gentle, "Furen is now certain that Yiniang will miscarry. If Yiniang does not miscarry within three days, Furen will certainly suspect that Yiniang is in the womb. However, what if Yiniang did not take this spool of chou-yu silk with added spices? "
Hong Ying slowly released her hand and looked at Jiang Ruan blankly.
"There are two spices of chou-yu silk. One will be sent to my courtyard, and the other to Second Younger Sister's courtyard. Since it is necessary to show that everything is clean, Second Younger Sister will also make a similar set of clothes. If the maidservant takes the wrong material, then Yiniang will only be lucky that Yiniang did not miscarry. "
Hong Ying slowly regained her composure. If it was Jiang Ruan's spices, it would be fine, but Jiang Su Su's spices were added with added spices. Naturally, she would not miscarry, because the one who would miscarry … would be someone else.
Hong Ying opened her mouth and looked at Jiang Ruan with some disbelief, "It is easy for Eldest Miss to say, but how can I exchange the material?" She thought for a moment, "Eldest Miss has many capable people by your side, is it possible to let Eldest Miss …"
"Fifth Yiniang," not waiting for her to finish, Jiang Ruan interrupted her, "Although there is a grudge between Furen and me, this grudge is not urgent. In the future, if Furen has the intention to take revenge, I will naturally think of a way. But Yiniang cannot wait. Yiniang, within three days, if you cannot exchange the spices, then you can only, "she smiled slightly," think of a way to miscarry. This method is naturally feasible, but Yiniang will not have any bargaining chips. "
Hong Ying's heart thumped, Jiang Ruan's every word had hit her vitals. Yes, in order to not arouse suspicion, she could only pretend to miscarry, but in this way, she would also have no bargaining chips. If she could exchange the spices, not only could she make Xia Yan's stomach become empty, but she could also reap all the benefits from it. That spice, wasn't it Xia Yan's own doing?
Jiang Ruan's voice floated over softly, "Does Yiniang really not want to get rid of the child in Furen's stomach? Why doesn't Yiniang ask your own heart? "
Hong Ying's body trembled. Yes, she hated Xia Yan, and she hated the piece of meat in Xia Yan's stomach even more. If it were not for that piece of meat, Xia Yan would be at a good time in the fu, and Jiang Quan would certainly place more attention on her!
Hong Ying looked at Jiang Ruan deeply, and suddenly stood up, "Many thanks to Eldest Miss for the advice."
Jiang Ruan smiled and did not speak. The human heart was like this: jealousy, unwillingness, comparison, hatred, only needed a little bit to swallow up a person's reason. Hong Ying had already made her choice. This was the way of the world. Whatever one needed, one had to pay the same price.
Before leaving, Hong Ying turned to Jiang Ruan and softly said, "Eldest Miss, when you gave the silk thread to this concubine, did you really not know that it was mixed with a deadly spice?"
Jiang Ruan picked up her tea and slowly took a sip, "I did not know."
Hong Ying did not say anything more and turned to leave.
After Hong Ying left, Tian Zhu walked to Jiang Ruan's side and said, "Does she really have a way to exchange the silk thread?"
"Naturally." Jiang Ruan's eyes narrowed. From a prostitute in a brothel to a concubine who could compete with the legal wife, she was still in the good graces of the noble Jiang Quan. Naturally, Hong Ying was not an ordinary woman. For so many years, she had remained safe and sound despite being a thorn in Xia Yan's side. If she did not have this ability, she would have been gnawed to the bone long ago.
Hong Ying was not Zhao Mei. She was much smarter than Zhao Mei, and much more ruthless.
Tian Zhu looked at Jiang Ruan and did not speak. This matter did not require Jiang Ruan to act, and she had a handle on Hong Ying for no reason. Naturally, it was much better than her exchanging the silk thread.
Jiang Ruan lowered her eyes, but a strange smile appeared on her face. There was not a mother who did not feel pain when she lost her child. In this life, Xia Yan could empathize with her pain, and it was far more than that.
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