Back at Ruan Ju, Jiang Ruan dismissed all the servant girls. Lian Qiao and Lu Zhu did not know what had happened. Tian Zhu, the only one who knew what had happened, was a taciturn person. Although she was puzzled, the servant girls still obediently retreated, leaving Jiang Ruan alone in the room.
Jiang Ruan sat in front of the desk, thinking nothing. In the blink of an eye, the sky darkened. She only felt a little annoyed, so she stood up and walked out of the room. Ruan Ju's courtyard was not big. She walked along the small courtyard to the courtyard wall and sat down.
The moon in the summer night was big and round, like a huge pearl, illuminating the courtyard clearly. Jiang Ruan sighed softly, and Xia Yan's words suddenly appeared in her mind.
It was Jiang Dan. Jiang Dan had poisoned the tonic that Zhao Mei drank every day.
She remembered that when Third Yiniang had died, she had entrusted Jiang Dan to Zhao Mei. In fact, as the matriarch of the Jiang family, Zhao Mei's heart ached that Jiang Dan had lost her mother at a young age. She had indeed loved Jiang Dan as her own daughter. Although Jiang Quan had given Zhao Mei the cold shoulder at that time, and compared to Zhao Mei, Xia Yan was more like the matriarch of the household. However, at that time, Zhao Mei and her children had lived happily.
As for Jiang Dan, when she was young, Jiang Ruan only felt that this fourth sister was too timid. Occasionally, she would stick to Zhao Mei so much that even Jiang Ruan would feel slightly jealous. However, when she thought about it, she was relieved. She had only been a little girl without a mother and relied on her di mother.
Now that she thought about it, she felt a chill run down her spine. The poison that Zhao Mei had been poisoned by Jiang Dan. Not only that, Jiang Dan had also poisoned her. Jiang Ruan now understood why her body had always been unwell. It was because, in her early years, she had unknowingly eaten something poisonous. It was just that at that time, Jiang Dan had been timid and there were not many opportunities to poison her tea and snacks. Later, she had gone to the residence. Otherwise, who knows how she would still be alive now.
Jiang Dan. Jiang Ruan sneered in her heart. She knew that there was someone in the fu who had hidden well, but she did not know that she was such a heartless and unscrupulous thing. Thinking that her mother's life seemed to be a joke, Jiang Ruan did not know whether she was angry or sad.
She didn't know how long she had been sitting under the courtyard wall until she felt her whole body aching. Only then did Jiang Ruan stand up, intending to return to her room. As soon as she turned around, she was stunned. Not far away, a black-robed young man was standing quietly under a tree, looking at her silently. Clearly, he had been here for a long time.
"You …" I'm back, "Jiang Ruan replied. Xiao Shao had disappeared for a few days, and now, he had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. At this moment, Jiang Ruan had something on her mind, so she did not have the time to reprimand him for barging into her residence in the middle of the night.
Xiao Shao raised his eyebrows and walked towards her. "What's wrong?"
As soon as he returned, he heard from Tian Zhu what had happened in the past few days. He saw Jiang Ruan's expression at the foot of the courtyard wall. He did not know what she was thinking about, but she actually felt very lonely. That kind of desolate back view was dazzling to the eyes.
Jiang Ruan watched as Xiao Shao walked towards her. He extended his hand towards her, as if he wanted to caress her face. However, just as he was about to touch her, he stopped and asked, "Why are you not done yet?"
It had been a few days, but the palm print on his face was still clearly visible. The red and swollen imprint was very obvious on his fair face. Jiang Ruan was startled and turned her head away. "Tomorrow, I have to make a trip to the palace."
Xiao Shao paused and understood. After thinking for a while, he took out a porcelain bottle from his bosom and handed it to her. "Use it after you enter the palace."
Jiang Ruan took it and said in a low voice, "Thank you very much."
Today, her mood was really gloomy. Even an ordinary person could see it. Not to mention a sensitive person like Xiao Shao. He glanced at Jiang Ruan and suddenly reached out to grab her arm. He lifted her up. Before Jiang Ruan could react, she found herself on top of the big pear tree in the courtyard.
"What are you doing?" She sat on the pear tree, trembling. She could only reach out and grab Xiao Shao's hand. She still felt uneasy, so she simply wrapped her arms around Xiao Shao's waist.
Xiao Shao originally only wanted to bring Jiang Ruan up the tree. In the Brocade Guard, when Jin One and Jin Two were in low spirits, they would often climb up the tree to drink. Since there was no wine, Xiao Shao thought that perhaps looking at the moon would improve Jiang Ruan's mood. Unexpectedly, Jiang Ruan reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist. Xiao Shao's body stiffened and a strange emotion quickly floated in his heart. The unique fragrance of a young girl drilled into the tip of his nose. Under the moonlight, the hand on his black robe was as fair as jade. Xiao Shao unexpectedly had an indescribable impulse to cover that soft hand.
Jiang Ruan had only just wrapped her arms around Xiao Shao's waist when she reacted. Somewhat annoyed at her momentary impulse, she quickly let go. She subconsciously raised her head to see Xiao Shao's reaction, but she saw him sitting blankly on the tree. His side profile was beautiful beyond compare. Usually, he was elegant and cold, but when he acted foolishly, he actually looked somewhat stubbornly adorable.
"Hey." She tried hard to make her voice sound calm. "Bring me down."
Xiao Shao returned to his senses and pursed his lips. "Is this better?"
"Not good," Jiang Ruan said angrily. "Not good at all."
Xiao Shao looked at her in astonishment. Jiang Ruan was usually calm, and it was rare for her to be flustered and exasperated. He felt that it was interesting, so he simply stretched out his long legs, put his head on his hands, and leaned against a tree branch to rest.
In the distance, Jinyi and Tian Zhu simultaneously widened their eyes. When did these two people, who were usually calm, sinister, and cunning, become so childish? It would not be an exaggeration to say that they were just a few years old.
Jiang Ruan glared at the instigator who was lying leisurely on the tree branch. She could only hate herself for not having learned martial arts at that time, and for not being able to kick this person down the tree. As she lay on the tree, the cool breeze of the summer night blew over, making her vexed mood a little more refreshed.
In the Jiang fu, which was filled with intrigue and intrigue all day long, it was really difficult to find a moment to calm down. Even so, not thinking about anything at that time was a kind of luxury. She turned her head, and Xiao Shao's head was facing her. This youth was born to be extremely beautiful. In the capital, there were rumors that the Jiang family's daughters were born to be beautiful, but Jiang Ruan felt that this was because Xiao Shao had been born a man. For example, when she looked over at him now, Xiao Shao's thin lips were tightly pursed, his long eyebrows slanted to his temples, and his nose was straight. He was born to be elegant, yet heroic. His most moving pair of pitch-black eyes were tightly shut at this moment, and his long eyelashes hung down. Jiang Ruan looked over, and in her heart, she despised him. Why did a man have such long eyelashes? However, her hands were a little itchy, and she unconsciously reached out to touch them ….
Jin One anxiously nudged Tian Zhu, "What does she want to do? Molest our master? "
"How would I know?" Tian Zhu angrily said, "Look at Master's appearance, doesn't that mean that he welcomes molestation?"
Jiang Ruan's hand was just about to touch Xiao Shao's eyelashes when Xiao Shao suddenly opened his eyes. Jiang Ruan was startled, and her eyes met with a pair of deep, pitch-black eyes. Xiao Shao's pair of eyes were the best. Usually, his expression was cold and cheerless, and his emotions were written in his eyes. At this moment, looking at them, they were as resplendent as a sprinkling of crushed diamonds, and were somewhat intoxicating. Even a person with a heart of stone could not help but be moved when he saw them.
Jiang Ruan was somewhat confused, but Xiao Shao was also slightly stunned. Jiang Ruan stared at him without blinking. Her gaze, which usually contained a slight hint of ridicule, was now completely confused. Her eyes were clear, and unconsciously revealed the unique charm of a young girl.
Xiao Shao only felt an itch in his heart, as if an ant was crawling over it. Jiang Ruan, on the other hand, was dumbfounded, and her gaze fell on Xiao Shao's somewhat red ears.
This person was actually so pure and innocent?
She burst out laughing. However, this laughter made Xiao Shao somewhat annoyed. He wanted to turn over and sit up, but he forgot that the two of them were still on the tree. Inadvertently, the branches of the tree rattled, and the two of them simultaneously fell down.
Jiang Ruan cried out in alarm, and Xiao Shao hurriedly reached out to grab her waist. When the two of them regained their senses, one on top and the other on the bottom, Xiao Shao was riding on Jiang Ruan's body, and one of his hands subconsciously cushioned the back of Jiang Ruan's head.
Lu Zhu and Bai Zhi heard the noise and ran out, and as soon as they arrived, they saw this scene. Jin Yi covered his eyes, and Tian Zhu's usual dull appearance changed as she excitedly swallowed her saliva, "Master …. Master is unexpectedly so passionate. "
Lian Qiao was afraid of alarming the bystanders, and her heart was filled with hatred and anger. She pushed Xiao Shao away, pulled Jiang Ruan up, and stood in front of Jiang Ruan to protect her. She looked at Xiao Shao vigilantly and said, "Xiao Wangye broke into the fu in the middle of the night, just to take advantage of my family's Miss?"
Lian Qiao was shrewd, and her words were also direct, but she did not realize that her words were wrong. Xiao Shao frowned imperceptibly.
Lu Zhu, on the other hand, was very happy. She was born in the marketplace, and did not place as much importance on rules as Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao. Moreover, with one glance, she could see that Xiao Shao was not a person of the pond. Such an ice- cold person only treated Jiang Ruan differently from others. If she had this son-in-law, wouldn't that be great? In her heart, Lu Zhu felt that being the mistress of Jinying Wang's fu was not bad. At least in this fu, these people would not dare to easily find trouble with Jiang Ruan.
Jiang Ruan had a slight headache. Lu Zhu and Lian Qiao had misunderstood. Thinking that this matter was caused by Xiao Shao breaking into the Jiang fu in the middle of the night, she could not help but glare at Xiao Shao. However, she did not expect that although she usually looked gentle, she was in fact distant. She would only reveal her rare true temperament to people who were close to her. This action fell into the eyes of Lian Qiao and Lu Zhu, and they could not help but be greatly shocked. This further confirmed their guess that there was something going on between their Miss and the young Jinying Wang.
Seeing this, a trace of a smile flashed in Xiao Shao's eyes. However, he did not continue to cause trouble for Jiang Ruan and only said, "If there is anything, come to Dong Feng Lou to find me. It is too late tonight, you should rest early. "After saying this, he actually turned around and leaped over the wall, disappearing into the night.
The dignified Master of the three hundred thousand Jinyi Guards of the Great Jin dynasty had to learn to climb over the wall like a rapist. Xiao Shao naturally left in an extremely elegant manner, but he did not know that the words he had said before he left had caused people's imaginations to roam. Immediately, huge waves were set off in the hearts of Jiang Ruan's two personal maidservants.
Because of Xiao Shao's careless disturbance, Jiang Ruan was no longer in the mood to think about what Xia Yan had said during the day. Even the matter of Jiang Dan was thrown to the back of her mind, and her mood was somewhat better than before. When she returned to her room, she did not think much about it. She blew out the lamp early and went to bed.
….
The next day, before Jiang Ruan had even entered the palace, she saw Lu Zhu hurriedly running over. She said in surprise, "Miss, there is a huge ruckus outside. They say that Furen had an affair with someone outside, and unexpectedly had a miscarriage. They even want to falsely blame Miss. The common people are spreading the news very fiercely, saying that Master …. Even after being cuckolded, he still did not divorce his wife. He really has a big heart. "
Lu Zhu's words carried some leeway. Presumably, those people's words should be even more ear-piercing. Jiang Ruan pondered slightly. She had not yet had the time to release the news, so how would outsiders know? Naturally, the Xia and Jiang families would not say anything, and Xuan Li would not seek trouble for himself. She asked, "Who did you hear this from?"
"It's that middle-aged doctor," Lu Zhu covered her mouth as she laughed, "That person was drinking wine in the tavern. When he got drunk, he told this matter as a joke. I reckon that the entire capital is now talking about this matter."
Jiang Ruan raised her eyebrows. Everything was fine, so why would that man say it himself after receiving benefits? He must have been instructed by someone else. A person appeared in her mind. Wasn't Xiao Shao a little too meddlesome? However, if he did it, it would save her a lot of trouble.
"Is the carriage ready?" Jiang Ruan asked. The matter of entering the palace could not be delayed.
"It's ready. It's waiting at the door," Bai Zhi replied.
Just as she was about to walk to the main door, she happened to run into Jiang Quan. Jiang Quan's expression was unusually gloomy. Early in the morning, such news had spread outside, causing him to lose face. After the court session, he hurriedly returned to the fu, as if everyone on the way was laughing at him. With such a thing happening, he would be ridiculed by others for the rest of his life. At this moment, Jiang Quan wished that he could strangle Xia Yan, the instigator of all this, to death. But seeing that Jiang Ruan was about to leave the fu, he asked, "Where are you going?"
Jiang Ruan turned to look at him and smiled, "The Empress Dowager has invited me into the palace for a chat. Father, what's the matter?"
Jiang Quan was momentarily speechless. Ever since Jiang Ruan had been conferred the title of junzhu, her relationship with Empress Dowager Yi De had become much closer. As a father, he did not have as much face as Jiang Ruan did in front of the Empress Dowager. Just thinking about it filled him with anger. His gaze fell on Jiang Ruan's face, and he stared blankly, "What is this?"
Five distinct fingerprints hung on her face, as if to accuse the perpetrator of violence. Several days had passed, but not only had the mark not disappeared, it was as if it had been newly added yesterday. The redness and swelling had not subsided in the slightest, hanging on her fair face.
Jiang Ruan smiled faintly, "What is this? Father doesn't know? "
Jiang Quan flew into a rage out of humiliation, "How can you enter the palace to meet the Emperor like this? This is disrespectful to the Empress Dowager. Quickly go back and cover up for me."
"Junzhu," Tian Zhu timely spoke, "It's time to board the carriage. If we are late, it will be bad if the Empress Dowager blames us."
Jiang Ruan smiled, "Exactly." She looked at Jiang Quan, "Father, I will leave first."
Seeing that Jiang Ruan did not take his words to heart, Jiang Quan was furious. Jiang Quan was so angry that his lungs were about to explode. He shouted furiously, "Jiang Ruan!"
"Father, the Empress Dowager treats me as her own flesh and blood, she will not care about such a small rule." Jiang Ruan's words were not without sarcasm. She smiled and said, "If Father insists on doing this, after we return to the fu, I will ask for forgiveness from Father." As soon as she finished speaking, she instructed Tian Zhu to open the door. As soon as the Jiang fu's door was opened, many commoners gathered outside to watch the commotion. Jiang Quan could not stay any longer. Even though his heart was about to explode, he could only grit his teeth and fiercely say, "Unfilial son!"
Tian Zhu looked at Jiang Quan with disdain and carefully helped Jiang Ruan into the carriage. The commoners outside naturally had sharp eyes. When they saw the handprint on Jiang Ruan's face, they thought of the rumor that Jiang Quan had slapped Jiang Ruan when he heard that Xia Yan had miscarried. One after another, they discussed, "Hong 'an Junzhu is such a delicate person. That Minister Jiang could really bear to lay his hands on her. Looking at the red handprint on her face, it really makes one's heart ache."
Another person said, "What do you know? Minister Jiang has always doted on that talented girl's son and daughter. When Jiang Furen passed away, he sent Hong 'an Junzhu to the rural residence. Which biological father would be able to do such a thing? "
One of the women spat and said, "Bah! What talented woman? She's clearly a slut. Who knows if that Second Jiang Miss and Second Jiang Young Master belong to Minister Jiang. Perhaps they belong to that adulterer. "
Everyone suddenly understood and began to discuss in high spirits. This time, they began to doubt the identity of Jiang Su Su and Jiang Chao.
Lu Zhu lifted a corner of the carriage's curtain, and the discussion outside more or less reached their ears. Lu Zhu said, "These people are really good at guessing. If Second Miss and Second Young Master heard this, they would be so angry that they wouldn't be able to leave the house."
Jiang Ruan smiled faintly. In this world, only the mouths of the common people could not be stopped. With a little guidance, the rampant rumors were enough to strangle a person's life. For example, in her previous life, hadn't she been forced step by step by these rumors to the end? Now that she was reborn, it was time to let that self-proclaimed fairy Jiang Su Su and the proud and arrogant Jiang Chao have a taste of this. As for Jiang Quan, he hated Xia Yan as much as he loved her in the past.
…
Entering the palace, she saw Empress Dowager Yi De. Sure enough, when Empress Dowager Yi De saw Jiang Ruan's face, she frowned and said, "How did it become like this?"
GuGu Yang also looked at Jiang Ruan's face and thought of the rumors outside. Empress Dowager Yi De was deep in the palace and did not pay much attention to the outside world, so she did not know about Xia Yan.
Jiang Ruan smiled and said, "It's nothing."
Empress Dowager Yi De glanced at her and said to Tian Zhu, "Speak."
As someone who was used to giving orders all year round, there was an air of oppression when she spoke. Tian Zhu knelt down and said, "Replying to Empress Dowager, Young Lady was injured by Master. Because Furen falsely accused Young Lady of miscarriage, Master beat Young Lady in a fit of anger. At that time, Eighth Highness was also present. "
Jiang Ruan laughed in her heart. Tian Zhu had also dragged Xuan Li into the water.
When Empress Dowager Yi De heard this, she knew what was going on and said angrily, "Is he rebelling against the heavens? How dare he raise his hand against aijia's people! Hong An, why did Eighth Brother go to your fu? "
Jiang Ruan thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Ruan niang also does not know. Perhaps he came with Xia Hou to discuss political affairs with Master."
Empress Dowager Yi De did not only know how to deal with the jealousy of the women in the harem. When she was young, she played politics and supported the new Emperor to ascend the throne. Naturally, she could hear the inappropriateness of these words. Thinking that the Eighth Prince's ambition was becoming more and more obvious, Empress Dowager Yi De frowned slightly. She then looked at the palm print on Jiang Ruan's face and naturally could not restrain her anger. She immediately said, "What does that Jiang fu count as? You will stay here for the next few days. Aijia does not believe that your father will still dare to be so bold!" After a pause, she continued, "How is that Xia Yan now?"
GuGu Yang laughed and said, "Empress Dowager, please quell your anger. This servant also knows a thing or two about this matter. First, let Junzhu sit down and have some tea, then this servant will properly tell you."
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