In the sixth month, a celestial woman's face could change at will. In the morning, it had been sunny and cloudless, but in the afternoon, it was raining cats and dogs. The ferocious rain brought a refreshing coolness to the hot summer day.
Xia Yan sat in front of the open window. The cool rain fell on her face, sweeping away the haze of the past few days. Because she was pregnant, her body was afraid of the cold. Even in the summer, she had not used ice in the house. Today's rain had relieved the heat.
Feicui gently covered Xia Yan's body with her coat. "Furen, be careful not to catch a cold."
"No harm." Xia Yan comfortably squinted her eyes. She seemed to be in a good mood. Even her complexion had brightened a few notches, somewhat resembling her former self. A fluttering white butterfly was embroidered on the edge of the sleeve. The butterfly was beautifully embroidered and seemed to sparkle. Xia Yan looked down and was very satisfied. Ever since she became pregnant, she couldn't wear her original clothes anymore, and could only wear some loose ones. Which woman doesn't love beauty? She's always thinking of ways to make a fuss about it. Jiang Su Su distributed the chou-yu silk thread and sent some to her. She used it on the edge of the sleeve. Firstly, the chou-yu silk thread was indeed beautiful. Secondly, there was an accident on Hong Ying's side. People would inevitably suspect her. Only by using it on herself would she not arouse suspicion.
Thinking of Hong Ying, the corners of Xia Yan's mouth revealed a happy smile. She had spent a lot of money to buy this medicine. It could not be found in the capital, and ordinary doctors would not be able to smell it. Even if they could smell it, it would still be her fault. The servants saw with their own eyes that Hong Ying had carried the chou-yu silk thread back. Xia Yan simply wanted to laugh out loud. Even the heavens were helping her. Hong Ying was courting death.
Today was the second day. If it had not been today, Hong Ying would have had a miscarriage tomorrow.
Feicui gently fanned Xia Yan. Xia Yan pinched a sour plum and put it in her mouth. Recently, she had grown to love eating sour things, so she ordered the kitchen to pickle a lot of fresh green plums. Just as the plum was in her mouth, the sour taste had not yet dissolved when Xia Yan suddenly felt a pain in her lower abdomen. Her hand trembled and she immediately spat out the plum in her mouth. Clutching her lower abdomen, she cried, "It hurts!"
Feicui and Lin Lang jumped in fright and rushed to help Xia Yan up. "Furen, what's wrong? Where does it hurt? "
Xia Yan increasingly felt as if a knife was being twisted in her abdomen. She actually fell off the stool, clutching her stomach in pain as she rolled on the floor. The two servant girls were instantly terrified to the point their faces turned pale, and Feicui said, "Could it be that Madam is about to give birth? But it's not time yet. "
"Ah!" Lin Lang let out a blood-curdling scream and her body began to tremble uncontrollably. She could see that Xia Yan's lower body was already overflowing with a large amount of blood. They were not unmarried young ladies who did not know anything and naturally understood what this meant. Seeing this scene, Feicui was also at a loss, "What should we do? Madam, please hold on. This servant will go find Master and call a doctor over! "
"Stop … stop right there!" Xia Yan was so shocked that large beads of sweat broke out on her forehead. However, she still managed to remain clear-headed and call out to Feicui. She faintly understood that she might have a miscarriage. Her heart was in pain and shock, but right now, she used all her strength to say, "Do it secretly, don't let anyone else in the fu know." Finishing speaking, she screamed again, clutching her stomach and rolling around.
…
Jiang Ruan closed the book in front of her. Tian Zhu quickly walked to her side and said in a low voice, "Xia Yan had a miscarriage."
"As expected, the medicine is overbearing," Jiang Ruan said indifferently.
"However, she did not alarm anyone else." Tian Zhu thought for a moment, "She only found a doctor from outside. Now that the doctor has just left, he must have received a lot of money."
"Do you have any companions?" Jiang Ruan looked at Tian Zhu, "Think of a way to save that doctor's life. Xia Yan will definitely kill him to silence him. I still have use for that doctor."
Tian Zhu said, "This subordinate will go now."
After Tian Zhu left, Jiang Ruan's gaze fell on the basket of snacks in front of her. Inside, there was an extremely small plum. The plums in this season had not yet ripened, and today, Lu Zhu had plucked them for fun. The plum was still green and pitifully small. In the end, it was not the time to harvest it. Jiang Ruan held the plum in the palm of her hand and slowly revealed a smile.
In Yan Hua Yuan, Xia Yan was lying on the bed, her complexion ashen like a dead person. The room was filled with the strong smell of blood. Lin Lang looked at the lump of flesh and blood in the wooden basin and could not help but feel a chill run down her spine.
The doctor had said that Xia Yan was pregnant with a male fetus that had already formed. However, today, she had smelled some perfume that could cause miscarriage and had miscarried. This perfume was extremely overbearing. Not only that, but it had also damaged her foundation. In the future, she would no longer be able to have children.
Xia Yan already had Jiang Chao and Jiang Su Su. Even if she could not have children in the future, she would still have a foothold in the fu. However, they all knew where the perfume had come from. It was clearly the perfume that Xia Yan had used on Jiang Ruan's chou-yu silk thread to deal with Hong Ying!
Xia Yan's gaze was lifeless as she stared fixedly at the extremely fine patterns on the canopy above her head. If not for the fact that her eyes only moved after a long time, people would have suspected that she was dead.
Chou-Yu silk thread, chou-yu silk thread? Xia Yan laughed bitterly. So that was how it was. Hong Ying, that slut, had actually exchanged the chou-yu silk thread? Could it be that there was a spy in the courtyard who had colluded with the outside to exchange the two bolts of silk thread? Now, that slut in Hong Ying's belly was still alive, but her own child had lost his life! This kind of blood feud was absolutely irreconcilable!
Thinking of the child in her belly, Xia Yan felt as if a knife was twisting in her heart. This child had been in her belly for so long and was about to give birth, but it had died midway. Moreover, it had been a boy! What would Jiang Quan do when he found out? He would definitely be very disappointed. How could she tell him this news? If she told him, wouldn't the slut in Hong Ying's belly be even more like a fish in water? If her child had died, wouldn't that slut in Hong Ying's belly be even more like a fish in water?
Lin Lang timidly stepped forward, "Furen, should we inform Second Miss …"
"Don't tell her that I had a miscarriage," Xia Yan said with difficulty, "Just say that there was a problem with the silk thread and tell her not to use it." Xia Yan's voice was like silk, "If anyone else were to find out about this matter, your family's lives would not be guaranteed."
Feicui and Lin Lang were startled, and simultaneously lowered their heads, "We will understand."
"Get lost." Xia Yan obviously did not want to speak anymore. Just as Feicui and Lin Lang were about to withdraw, Lin Lang suddenly and cautiously asked, "Then … then what about the little master's body?"
Xia Yan stared blankly and looked out the window. Given the current weather, it was likely that it would not be kept for long, but looking at the badly mangled mass of flesh and blood in the wooden basin, she couldn't help but feel vexed. She immediately sneered, "Since it's dead, naturally it should be thrown out." She turned her head away with some disgust, "Do it cleanly, don't let others catch hold of it."
Feicui and Lin Lang's hearts turned cold. Xia Yan's actions towards their own flesh and blood were too chilling. But at the moment, there really was no other way. They naturally did not know what Xia Yan was planning, so they could only comply and leave.
Xia Yan lay on the boat, and a tear suddenly fell from the corner of her eye. She turned her body sideways, and the tear quietly disappeared. A trace of malice flashed in her eyes.
Her child had fallen to such a tragic end. The slut in Hong Ying's belly would certainly be a thousand times, ten thousand times more miserable than him!
…
That night, a small room in Yan Hua Yuan was lit up. The weather had just rained, but there was still some wind in the night, causing the candlelight to sway, flickering in and out in a somewhat ghostly manner.
A small voice asked, "How is the disposal of that thing?"
"To avoid arousing suspicion, it was wrapped in a coarse sackcloth. It's been disposed of quite cleanly, so no one has discovered it," another voice replied in a low voice.
"That's good. Ah, tonight, the sky is so gloomy that it feels rather creepy. Do you think, could it be a wronged spirit …"
"Shoo shoo shoo, what nonsense are you spouting in the middle of the night?" The low voice seemed to be extremely wary, and hurriedly interrupted the other voice, saying, "It's already so late. Since the matter has been settled, I'll go back first."
"Good," the other voice replied, followed by the sound of footsteps leaving. The candlelight in the room slightly illuminated the person at the table. It was Xia Yan's personal servant, Lin Lang. Today, she had handed over the dead baby to a wet nurse in the room. She had only said that it had been given birth by an unclean servant girl who had dirtied herself outside, and that the thing had been handed over to be sold far away. Although this matter was somewhat taboo, the amount of silver that Lin Lang had given the old woman was sufficient, so the old woman had agreed to it.
Obviously, everything had been handled appropriately, but Lin Lang did not know why, but she felt a faint sense of unease in her heart, as if something was about to happen. However, Xia Yan could not leave her side now. She pretended that she had not had a miscarriage, and that the fetus seemed to be stable as she continued to nurture it. Lin Lang, on the other hand, had to decoct a tonic for her miscarriage.
After the old woman had separated from Lin Lang, she laughed merrily as she touched her own heavy pouch. Although the amount of silver that Lin Lang had given was sufficient, this dead baby could still be sold for a good price. The placenta that was attached to the dead baby's body was a good thing. There was a medicine shop in the capital that was privately engaged in this kind of business. On normal days, they would collect dead babies and resell them to others. The women in the large mansion often needed to use the placenta to nourish their beauty. However, the placenta was, after all, a bloody plaything. On normal days, they could not brazenly eat it, so they could only secretly buy it.
Today, this old woman had obtained the dead baby from Lin Lang, and then resold it to the medicine shop. After returning, she had received two sets of silver. How could she not be happy? Immediately, she went out in high spirits to buy wine and eat.
In Su Xin Yuan, Butterfly carried a glittering and translucent glass bowl and handed it to Jiang Su Su, who was lying on the couch. "Miss, drink it while it's hot."
The bowl was steaming hot, but it had a nauseating color. Although the fragrance assailed one's nostrils, it also made one's stomach churn for no reason.
Jiang Su Su put down the newly purchased rouge in her hand and carelessly took the glass bowl from Butterfly's hand. Using a jade spoon, she gently stirred it, and carelessly said, "It's here again today?"
"These days, there has been very little in the capital. The medicine shop's shopkeeper said that this was newly purchased today and is very fresh. This servant spent two hundred taels of silver to buy it. "Butterfly's expression did not change as she said.
"Got it. Later, you can go to the accounts to collect the money." Jiang Su Su lifted the bowl to the tip of her nose and gently sniffed, revealing an intoxicated expression. It was not the first or second day that she had eaten the placenta. Thanks to the placenta, the scars on her face had healed so quickly. This thing was precious but not common. Others were afraid of being bloody, but she was not. For this appearance, what did this count for? In any case, recently, even chicken blood had stopped flowing, and her appearance must have become even more beautiful. It seemed that it was time to go out and take a walk.
Jiang Su Su lifted the bowl and slowly savored the delicacies. Butterfly, on the other hand, was resisting the urge to vomit. In the pile of junk in front of the servant's room in Su Xin Yuan, there was a piece of cloth lying quietly. It looked like it was used to wrap something. It was a piece of coarse cloth, and there were some dark brown stains on it.
…
At night, in order to prevent catching a cold, dewdrops covered the windows, leaving a small crack. Not only would the cold wind not enter, but the room would also be ventilated. Today's weather was refreshing, so there was no need to use ice. Tian Zhu walked in from outside and walked to the side of Jiang Ruan, who was preparing to go to bed. She whispered a few words into her ear. Jiang Ruan's eyes flashed and she smiled slightly, "So that's how it is."
Tian Zhu could not help but frown. Xia Yan had sent her dead baby to be dealt with, but by a freak combination of factors, it had been bought back by someone from Su Xin Yuan. That Jiang Su Su had eaten her own younger brother's placenta. When she thought of this, she felt her blood run cold.
Jiang Ruan said, "In this world, there is karma and retribution."
Tian Zhu said, "Xia Yan concealed the news of her miscarriage. Could it be that she also wanted to replace a flower with a tree?"
"After suffering such a big loss, how could Xia Yan be willing? If she were to replace a flower with a tree, wouldn't her heart be too kind? "She pushed the stray hair in front of her eyes to the back, and her earlobes appeared even more lustrous like jade.
"Then Miss …?"
Jiang Ruan shook her head and said, "Don't worry. Her spearhead is all on Hong Ying, and isn't Hong Ying also firmly biting her? We just need to sit back and watch the show. "She would not act rashly unless it was time to act.
Tian Zhu thought for a moment, then agreed and went out.
After Tian Zhu left, Jiang Ruan pressed the center of her forehead and sat down to think for a while. Only then did she feel a little tired. She got up and was about to take off her outer garments when she heard a familiar voice say, "Wait."
Jiang Ruan was startled. Before she could react, she subconsciously reached out to touch the dagger under her pillow.
A person walked out from the shadow of the lamp. This person walked closer and closer until he stopped a few steps away from Jiang Ruan. Even though he was dressed in black, he could still wear embroidered clothes with a romantic elegance. His appearance was incomparably handsome. Who else could it be but Xiao Shao?
Even though Jiang Ruan was used to smiling, she could not help but put on a cold face and angrily said, "What is Xiao Wangye doing? Is this how the imperial family's rules are taught? "
As soon as the words left her mouth, she somewhat regretted them. Although she was now Hong 'an Junzhu, Xiao Shao was the leader of the three hundred thousand Embroidered Guards and the current head of Jinying Wangfu. In terms of rank, she was still a notch below Xiao Shao. However, today, Xiao Shao had come uninvited, which inevitably made her feel apprehensive. In addition, Xiao Shao had never deliberately put on airs in front of her, so Jiang Ruan had forgotten about this person's ability to call the wind and summon the rain in the Great Jin dynasty. It was only now that she regained her composure that she realized how rude her words had been. However, words that had been spoken were like water that had been spilled. She could not take them back. She simply pretended to be angry and glared at Xiao Shao, but in her heart, she had some misgivings.
Xiao Shao was used to seeing Jiang Ruan's calm and unperturbed appearance. No matter when or where, she would be able to smile indifferently. However, today, he had unexpectedly seen Jiang Ruan explode. For a moment, he was stunned. Although he had been born in the imperial family and had never lacked the etiquette of a noble child, because he had accepted the Embroidered Guards and traveled outside all year round, he had also been infected with some Jianghu habits. He had a free and easy temperament that was not constrained by the secular world. Now, he regarded Jiang Ruan as one of his own. He had never thought that the other party would be an unmarried young lady. Moreover, he had not considered that in the middle of the night, there would be another person quietly appearing in the room. How much of a fright would that cause to Jiang Ruan? Thinking of this, Xiao Shao felt a little ashamed. He pursed his lips and said, "I was inconsiderate, I apologize." As he said this, he looked at Jiang Ruan seriously. Seeing that Jiang Ruan's eyes clearly had a guilty conscience, yet she was still glaring angrily at him, he stared blankly and found it somewhat funny.
For the dignified Xiao Wangye of the Great Jin dynasty to personally apologize to her, Jiang Ruan could not put on any airs. In her heart, she was annoyed that she could not keep her composure today. After calming down for a while, she walked to the table and sat down. She poured a cup of tea for both herself and Xiao Shao and said, "Xiao Wangye, for you to barge into someone's chamber in the middle of the night, presumably, there must be an extremely urgent matter."
Xiao Shao acted as if he had not heard the ridicule in her words. His heroic brows slightly wrinkled, "You used the chou-yu silk that Xia Yan sent?"
Jiang Ruan was stunned. She had not expected that Xiao Shao would actually come for this matter. Presumably, Tian Zhu had reported this matter to Xiao Shao. Tian Zhu had just been by her side, and Xiao Shao was also her breadwinner. Jiang Ruan did not expect Tian Zhu to be completely loyal to her now. She nodded.
Xiao Shao disagreed, "There is perfume mixed in, you should not be so rash."
"Tian Zhu has already detoxified the perfume." Jiang Ruan did not care at all. At that time, in order to let Hong Ying's guard down, she had let Tian Zhu detoxify the perfume on the piece of silk that she had used, so that it would not cause any harm to the human body.
"Tian Zhu can also fail, accidents are inevitable." Xiao Shao said indifferently.
Tian Zhu, who was standing guard outside the window, had practiced martial arts since childhood. Naturally, she could hear the conversation in the room. When she heard Xiao Shao's words, she felt very wronged. Although she was not one of the best detoxification experts, such a small poison was not a problem.
Jiang Ruan still wanted to say something, but Xiao Shao suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist. He was a man, so his strength was naturally incomparable to Jiang Ruan's. Xiao Shao concentrated on taking her pulse. Although Jiang Ruan felt a little strange, she did not struggle. Her gaze fell on the hand that was holding her wrist. Unlike Jiang Xin Zhi's dark and sturdy large hands, which were trained to fight and kill on the battlefield, Xiao Shao's hands were slender, with well-proportioned joints. There was a thin layer of calluses on his fingertips, probably from practicing martial arts. It was somewhat cold, but his palm was somewhat dry and warm.
After Xiao Shao finished taking her pulse, he withdrew his hand. For a moment, there was a strange look in his eyes. Jiang Ruan had always been observant, so from Xiao Shao's expression, she saw something and asked, "Is there any perfume left?" To tell the truth, she was not very worried about the matter of the perfume. In any case, she could not have children. In this life, she had never even thought of marrying.
"No." Xiao Shao thought about it, shook his head, and looked at her. "Your body is too weak."
Jiang Ruan smiled and did not speak. Weak? In her previous life, when she had returned to the Jiang fu from the rural residence, her body had been weak. She was so thin and bony that it was almost impossible to tell that she was human. She had lingered in the Jiang fu for several years, always taking medicine, but her body had not recovered. If not for the Emperor's decree to select a female concubine, she was afraid that she would have been "sick" for a few more years.
In this life, although she had returned early from the rural residence, the roots of her illness from years ago had still remained, and her body was not in good health. Now, it seemed that she had been nursed well, but only she knew that the insides of this body were rotten. She still paid great attention to nurturing her body, because she wanted to preserve her life to take revenge.
Xiao Shao saw that Jiang Ruan's gaze had passed him, and seemed to have thought of something. He only felt that the young girl in front of him seemed to have become very distant in an instant. He could not help but frown slightly, and there was a trace of discomfort in his heart. This feeling was somewhat unfamiliar, and Xiao Shao himself did not understand it. After pondering for a moment, he said, "If there is a chance in the future, I will take you to my master's place. His medical skills are excellent, and perhaps he can make your body better."
Xiao Shao's words pulled Jiang Ruan back from her thoughts. She saw that the pitch-black eyes of the black-clothed youth in front of her were full of sincerity. She could not help but be startled, and said, "Many thanks."
When she interacted with Xiao Shao, it seemed that the words she said the most were "many thanks." Xiao Shao stood up, "It's getting late, I will go back first. You should rest early." After saying this, he glanced at her, and then flew out of the window.
He said that he would leave just like that, did he really think that the Minister's fu was his own backyard? Jiang Ruan stared blankly for a moment, and suddenly thought of what Xiao Shao had come here for today. Was it just to take her pulse? Could it be that this person was possessed? Jiang Ruan's drowsiness had long since flown to the highest heavens after Xiao Shao had stirred it up. At this moment, she did not feel the slightest bit sleepy.
Xiao Shao saw that the lights in the room had gone out, and after standing for a while, he also turned around and left.
….
It was just a summer rain, and the next day was a bright sunny day. It was different from the heavy haze of the previous days, but the next few days were bright and sunny. Everything in the fu was neat and tidy. Fifth Yiniang was peacefully nurturing the fetus in the courtyard, and Xia Yan often went to the garden with her big belly to relax. Nothing seemed different.
The tranquility on the surface did not represent true peace. For example, Fifth Yiniang, Hong Ying, was not peacefully nurturing the fetus as the servants had said. Instead, with an anxious expression, she asked the maidservant who had returned, "What is going on? Can't you find out anything? "
"Replying Yiniang." The maidservant replied, "This servant has inquired in Su Xin Yuan, and has never heard of anyone in Yan Hua Yuan having a miscarriage. No physician has come these past few days, and Furen has only ordered people to go to the pharmacy to buy some medicine for the miscarriage."
"How is that possible?" Hong Ying murmured. These past few days, she had been burning with anxiety, wanting to hear the news of Xia Yan's miscarriage. Who knew that for some reason, these past few days, Yan Hua Yuan was like an iron fortress. Even a fly could not enter, let alone inquire about any news. She could only go to Su Xin Yuan to obtain information. If Xia Yan really did have a miscarriage, Jiang Su Su would definitely know. How could Hong Ying accept the news brought by the maidservant who had gone to inquire? Could it be that Xia Yan had discovered something?
"Don't be anxious, Yiniang," the maidservant beside her advised. "Perhaps Furen's luck is good, and she has not used that chou-yu silk thread yet, so there is no miscarriage."
Hong Ying's mind settled. It was indeed possible that Xia Yan had not used that chou-yu silk thread. It was a waste for a pregnant person to wear anything. Perhaps Xia Yan had wanted to use the chou-yu silk thread on her clothes after giving birth? Thinking of this, Hong Ying heaved a sigh of relief, but immediately, her expression became resentful. "How could she be so lucky!"
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