Early in the morning, Jinying Wang fu welcomed a special guest.
The guest had an anxious expression and was in a hurry. It was none other than Lu Zhu. Speaking of which, when Jiang Ruan had entered the bridal chamber that day, Lu Zhu had gone to get some hangover soup for her, but she had not expected Jiang Ruan to disappear. Naturally, she did not know that such a thing had happened. It was not easy to find Tian Zhu, but Tian Zhu had given her a fright. Tian Zhu had been injured and only said that Xiao Shao had sent people to save Jiang Ruan.
She had to take care of Tian Zhu while anxiously waiting until now. The person who had picked her up had said that Jiang Ruan was not injured in the fu, but Lu Zhu was still very worried. She wished that she had wings on her back so that she could immediately fly back to Jiang Ruan's side.
The huge Jinying Wang fu was even bigger than the Jiang fu. The maidservant who had led the way left after pointing the way. It was the first time that Lu Zhu had entered such a large fu, and she unknowingly got lost.
With great difficulty, she saw someone in front of her. Without caring about anything else, Lu Zhu hurriedly ran up and greeted, "Gongzi."
Jin Er was thinking about something when he suddenly saw a young maidservant with an anxious expression running towards him. This maidservant's face was very unfamiliar, but her smile was very sweet. She also looked very obedient and a little familiar. Jin Er had thought that she was a new maidservant in the fu, but calling him gongzi was a little strange.
Lu Zhu saw that this person was staring at her. In all fairness, Jin Er was also not bad and could be considered a handsome young man. He just smiled like a ruffian. Lu Zhu frowned and still asked, "Gongzi, do you know where the Jiang fu's Young Miss lives?"
When Lu Zhu asked this question, Jin Er suddenly understood. He had been wondering why this young maidservant looked so familiar. So she was Young Madam's maidservant. Thinking that his master had a taciturn temperament, it was better to take a roundabout way to save the country and start with Young Madam. He deliberately crossed his arms and looked at Lu Zhu with a mischievous smile, "You mean Young Madam? She lives with our Young Master."
Lu Zhu's attention was completely focused on the three words "Young Madam" and did not care about Jin Er calling Xiao Shao "Master". She widened her eyes and asked, "What Young Madam?"
Jin Er felt that Jiang Ruan was a cunning and ruthless person, but why was it that this little maidservant by her side was not so quick-witted? For a moment, a wicked idea arose in his mind. He laughed and said, "You've already slept together, if she isn't Young Madam, then who is she? Young Madam was drugged by an aphrodisiac yesterday, and it was our Young Master who personally cured her … Ouch! "
Jin Er deliberately made his words ambiguous. Just as he was speaking enthusiastically, he was unexpectedly kicked by Dewdrop. Dewdrop had grown up in the marketplace, so she was different from the delicate servant girls in the inner residence. She had used a lot of strength in this kick, and it just so happened to hit Jin Er's vital part. Jin Er cried out in pain, clutching his crotch as he glared at Dewdrop.
Dewdrop glared back and scolded, "Bah! Pervert! What kind of nonsense are you spouting? If you let this lady hear your filthy words again, be careful that the thing in your crotch won't be able to get it up from now on! "After she finished roaring at Jin Er like a lion, Dew Drop turned around and stormed off angrily. The two of them were left in a daze on the spot.
He was wrong. He shouldn't have thought that Young Madam's servant girl was easy to bully. How could a servant girl like Young Madam be easy to bully? Jin Er sucked in a breath of cold air in pain. He was the head of the Jinyi Guards, Xiao Shao's personal secret guard, and he was born with a dignified appearance. Normally, only young ladies would throw themselves at him. He had never expected that today, he would actually fall into the hands of a little servant girl! Stupid girl, Jin Er grinded his teeth. If this prince catches you again, this prince will definitely teach you a good lesson.
On the tree, Jin San and Jin Yi were eating melon seeds and watching the show. Jin San said, "You're courting death. If you offend Young Madam's servant girl, Jin Er won't be far from death. "
The expression on Jin Yi's face, which was exactly the same as Jin Er's, did not change. It was as wooden as a rock. Jin San glanced at him in disdain. He thought to himself, they had the same appearance, but how could the temperaments of twins be so different? One of them was expressionless all day long, while the other was as dissolute as a street ruffian.
… …
Not to mention Dewdrop's side, the 'Young Madam' and 'Young Master' that Jin Er mentioned were not as affectionate as the rumors said. Jiang Ruan drank a mouthful of honeyed lotus leaf water. Jinying w.a.n.g fu seemed to be used to being cold and cheerless, and there were no women coming or going. Housekeeper Lin searched for a long time before he finally found a chef who could make sweet water and made a few snacks.
Originally, Jiang Ruan wanted to curry favor with her future Young Madam, but in fact, she herself was not used to this kind of sweet food. The servants of Jinying w.a.n.g fu were too enthusiastic towards her. Even though she was a thousand miles away from them in her heart, she could only put on a gentle front.
Xiao Shao sat opposite her. The morning air was fresh, and as the sun shone at an angle, his elegant profile seemed to be plated with a layer of golden light. His black robe was embroidered with a golden Qilin, which made him look as cold as jade. Even the way he drank tea revealed an elegant nobility that was engraved into his bones.
There were some people who, even if they did nothing, would still attract attention just by sitting there. Jiang Ruan had seen a lot these past few days, but when she saw such a beautiful scene, she could not help but be slightly absent-minded.
She lowered her head and drank a mouthful of honeyed water. It was somewhat sweet, and she looked at Xiao Shao and asked, "Were you the one who announced the trip?"
Xiao Shao nodded.
Jiang Ruan asked again, "Did you deliver his severed head to Chen Fei?"
Xiao Shao's eyes flashed with a trace of coldness, "He only has himself to blame."
Jiang Ruan rested her chin on the edge of the cup. Xiao Shao had done this for her sake. She carefully looked at the youth in front of her. Originally, she felt that he had helped her a lot. However, these days, the subtle feeling in her heart was getting stronger and stronger. She was not a fool. In this life, if she did not understand the strange feeling in her heart, then she would have lived in vain.
Such a proud son of heaven had helped her again and again. If it had been her in her previous life, she would have fallen into his hands long ago. However, it was a pity that their paths crossed in this life. Jiang Ruan's heart was slightly bitter. She had come bearing hatred, and in this life, her hands were destined to be stained with blood. She did not even dare to get close to the Zhao family, so how could she dare to be tempted? In her previous life, she had died too early and did not know what had happened in the future. However, Xiao Shao had always been on the Emperor's side. When the Emperor had died, Xiao Shao had still been in the Southern Frontier. If Xiao Shao had returned, how could Xuan Li have let him go? In her previous life, she did not know what had happened to him in the end.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ruan unconsciously frowned. Seeing her like this, Xiao Shao thought that she was worried about the matter of Imperial Consort Chen, so he softened his voice and said, "I have already arranged things in the palace, you do not need to worry too much."
Jiang Ruan returned to her senses and said in a gentle voice, "Xiao Shao, you have helped me a lot, but Consort Chen and I are like fire and water. I have my own methods, you do not need to intervene."
Xiao Shao was silent for a moment, "I understand." He knew that Jiang Ruan had many secrets. Even the most outstanding spy of the Embroidered Uniform Guards could not discover these secrets. Although he was puzzled, he did not want to pry. Everyone had their own secrets. Jiang Ruan's secret was that there was always a trace of darkness hidden in her eyes. That trace of darkness was too deep. Although it was well concealed, occasionally, it would unconsciously leak out, causing her entire body to be filled with hostility.
Last night, when she was unconscious, she had also called out a name: Xuan Li.
Xiao Shao lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes concealing the emotions in his eyes. What grudge did she have with Xuan Li? Last night, when Jiang Ruan was unconscious, she had called out this name in a tone of grief and indignation. He had ordered the spies to investigate, but they had not found any grudge between Xuan Li and Jiang Ruan.
After a long silence, Xiao Shao said, "What do you plan to do?"
"Xuan You is already dead, the Lang Zhong fu and Jiang Li will also suffer the consequences of their own evil deeds. Imperial Consort Chen has spent so much effort to put on this show, how can we let it end so hastily?" A trace of darkness flashed in Jiang Ruan's eyes. Xiao Shao saw it and said, "If there is anything, I will help you."
"Many thanks." Jiang Ruan thanked Xiao Shao, thinking that Xiao Shao's move was indeed brilliant. Xuan You's death could be considered to have erased all traces. Jiang Li and the Lang Zhong fu seemed to have saved their lives, but the more this matter developed, the more people would be implicated, and the more the Lang Zhong fu would be in trouble. She would not sympathize with Jiang Li and Zuo Jiang. These two wanted to harm her, so even death would be considered a light punishment. The only one who had not been punished was Imperial Consort Chen. Since Imperial Consort Chen had the leisure to worry about her matters, how could she let Imperial Consort Chen down?
Jiang Ruan sneered in her heart. It seemed that she had not seen Holy Monk Hui Jue for a long time, but now it should be the State Preceptor.
…
In the General fu, Zhao Guang paced back and forth in his study. The sword hanging on the wall was taken down one moment, and then rehung the next. Zhao Yuan Feng said coldly, "Father, if you continue to walk like this, I will faint."
"What do you know!" Zhao Guang was just feeling annoyed that he had nowhere to vent his anger. Zhao Yuan Feng had bumped into the tip of the spear, and he immediately flew into a rage, "Your nephew has been drugged with an aphrodisiac, and I, your father, still can't take a few steps?!"
Zhao Yuan Ping could not stand it any longer and said, "Father, what are you so anxious about? Hasn't this person been cleaned up by Xiao Wangye? Ruan lass's fingers are not even hurt, and she is obediently staying in your Jinying Wang fu. Why are you getting angry at Third Brother?"
A few days ago, Xiao Shao had sent someone to deliver a letter to the General fu, and the person who had delivered the letter had recounted the entire sequence of events. Zhao Guang was so angry that he almost took out his sword and went out to chop down the Lang Zhong fu and that lecherous prince. However, the person had told Zhao Guang not to be impatient, and that everything would be arranged by Xiao Shao. As a result, the next day, the Lang Zhong fu had a scandal, and the entire household of the Third Prince had been exterminated.
Even if one were to use their toes to think that this was Xiao Shao's doing, but Zhao Guang was still very unhappy, "This is your father's family matter, why should an outsider like him interfere? Besides, Ruan lass is an unmarried daughter, what is the point of sending her to Jinying Wang fu? Yuan Jia, go and fetch your nephew back for me! "
The eldest son of the Zhao family, Zhao Yuan Jia, had been inexplicably singled out by Zhao Guang, and he said helplessly, "Father, if we go and fetch Ruan 'er back now, won't we be giving others an opportunity to take advantage of? Since Xiao Wangye has helped Ruan 'er, he will not harm her. "
These past few days, there had been a few pairs of unfamiliar eyes staring at the General fu. The retainers had not been able to find them, and they thought that they were definitely spies, most likely targeting Jiang Ruan. Now that the outside world had announced that Jiang Ruan was in the General fu, if her whereabouts were to be leaked at this time, it would only be detrimental to Jiang Ruan and the entire General fu. Zhao Guang naturally understood this principle, but knowing was one thing, and feeling dissatisfied was another. Originally, Jiang Ruan was the granddaughter of the Zhao family, but the matter of revenge had been left to Xiao Shao, an outsider. Moreover, the attitude of the person who had delivered the letter that day made Zhao Guang feel suffocated. It was as if Jinying Wang fu was Jiang Ruan's home, and the General fu were the bad guys.
Zhao Guang's stubborn temper flared up, and he did not see eye to eye with Xiao Shao. Although he was grateful that Xiao Shao had saved Jiang Ruan at a crucial time, he still found it difficult to calm down. He angrily said to Zhao Yuan Jia, "What do you know? Who knows if that Xiao brat has taken a fancy to that Ruan lass, or if he has some improper thoughts towards her? Ruan lass is still young, what if she has been deceived? "
At that time, Zhao Mei had not been able to discern people's true intentions, and that was why she had wasted her entire life, and even lost a pair of children. This matter would forever be a pain in Zhao Guang's heart.
Zhao Yuan Ping sneered and laughed out loud, "Father, Xiao Shao has developed other thoughts towards that Ruan lass? Don't say this out loud. Besides, how could Ruan lass be deceived? As long as she doesn't deceive others, it's fine. "
Everyone in the Great Jin dynasty knew that Xiao Shao had a cold and indifferent personality, and that he did not lust after women. Even if Jiang Ruan was an outstanding beauty, in Xiao Shao's eyes, she was just a passerby. Moreover, Jiang Ruan's temperament was gentle on the surface, but in reality, she was cold and ruthless. Zhao Yuan Ping followed in the footsteps of the Zhao family, and the way he looked at women was also the same. He felt that women should be like Zhao Mei, warm and pure. Although Jiang Ruan was his niece, men would not like such a temperament.
Of course, many years later, it was proven that Zhao Yuan Ping, the smartest military advisor of the Zhao family, also had times when he made a mistake. However, at present, he still felt that his way of thinking was correct.
However, Zhao Guang was an extremely protective person, and once he heard Zhao Yuan Ping's words, he became angry. He slammed the table heavily, and stiffened his neck, saying, "Are you still a member of the Zhao family? What's wrong with Ruan lass? Ruan lass is beautiful, and the Xiao family's brat has never met someone as good as Ruan lass. Get out of my sight. "
Zhao Yuan Feng finally lost his patience and stood up, saying, "Father, now is not the time to quarrel with eldest brother and second brother. We can talk about Xiao Wangye's matter another day. Ruan lass has suffered so much, shouldn't we do something?"
"What can we do?" Zhao Guang was angry, "Everything has been done by the Xiao family's brat!"
"Isn't there still Imperial Consort Chen?" Zhao Yuan Feng reminded.
Zhao Guang frowned, "How can a woman from the harem intervene?" Although his anger was difficult to quell, Imperial Consort Chen was in the harem, and he was an official. He had no chance to do anything, and this matter could not be made public. He could not think of a solution no matter what.
Zhao Yuan Ping snapped his fingers, "Imperial Consort Chen cannot be touched, but isn't Chen daren still here?" He smiled, "I see that Imperial Consort Chen is so unscrupulous because Chen daren is living too arrogantly."
Zhao Guang pondered for a moment, then nodded, "That's right, I have long wanted to deal with that ignorant old man. Just in time, I will teach him a lesson this time, or else he will say that the General fu is easy to bully. The three of you better sit properly, this matter is of great importance … "
…
A dignified prince of a country was gone just like that. Even if he was a good-for-nothing prince, he still caused a lot of trouble in the court. The Emperor had never liked this son, so he did not show too much grief. Empress Dowager Yi De, on the other hand, had a rare look of distress, but it did not seem like she was worried about this matter.
Jiang Ruan stayed in Jinying Wang fu for a few days, and after the commotion died down, she did not return to the fu. Xiao Shao sent two people to send her to the palace. Xiao Shao's subordinates were not ordinary people, so they were more confident.
When she returned to the palace, she still went to pay her respects to Empress Dowager Yi De. Jiang Ruan pretended that nothing had happened, but she saw that Empress Dowager Yi De was much more haggard. Seeing Jiang Ruan, Empress Dowager Yi De seemed to remember something and asked, "Aijia heard that something like this happened on your third sister's wedding night. What exactly happened?"
Jiang Ruan shook her head, "If third sister doesn't say, I don't know the specifics."
The Empress Dowager shook her head and sighed. She knew that Jiang Ruan's relationship with the Jiang family was not good. When they had been at the imperial ancestral temple, Jiang Quan had not even sent a proper letter to his family. She had also seen Jiang Ruan's attitude towards the Jiang family. She was not warm, so it was natural for her to look on with the cold eyes of a bystander.
"That Zuo Jiang, Aijia does not think that he is a good person. He has simply disrupted the moral code. In the future, the common people will follow suit, and the world will be in chaos." Obviously, this matter was very serious in the eyes of Empress Dowager Yi De. Although Empress Dowager Yi De had not been involved in court affairs for the past few years, she still had the unique insight that she had developed in her early years. Zuo Jiang had already crossed Empress Dowager Yi De's bottom line. Jiang Ruan would not speak of the major matters of the world in front of Empress Dowager Yi De. After speaking for a while, Empress Dowager Yi De seemed to be tired and went to take a nap.
Jiang Ruan followed Yang GuGu outside, and Jiang Ruan asked, "GuGu, do you know why Imperial Grandmother is not in a good mood?"
Empress Dowager Yi De seemed to be very depressed, showing a rare look of old age and haggard. Jiang Ruan did not think that Empress Dowager Yi De was feeling sorry for Xuan You's death. In fact, Empress Dowager Yi De was a swift and decisive person. In her early years, she had already been very disgusted with Xuan You. It was her decree that Xuan You be allowed to leave the palace and open his fu.
GuGu Yang smiled and said, "Junzhu, perhaps the Empress Dowager has been a little tired recently, so she looks a little withered. She will be better in a few days. "
These words were said perfunctorily, so Jiang Ruan responded with a slight smile, "Is that so? Then I will have to trouble GuGu Yang to take care of Imperial Grandmother. "
"This maidservant is not worthy of Junzhu's words." GuGu Yang had been by Empress Dowager Yi De's side for a long time, and she also admired Jiang Ruan very much. At that time, Jiang Ruan had risked her life to save the Empress Dowager, but she had never said anything about it. After getting along with her, she also knew what to ask and what not to ask. The most suitable person to survive in the palace was a smart person like her. GuGu Yang looked at Jiang Ruan with some admiration in her eyes.
Jiang Ruan slightly lowered her eyes. Sure enough, Empress Dowager Yi De also had some secrets. Now, she was not close enough to share secrets with Empress Dowager Yi De. However, in this world, she was not interested in other people's secrets. If Empress Dowager Yi De did not say anything, she would not ask. Today, she had come for a more important matter.
"GuGu Yang, a lot of things have happened in the fu these days, and I feel very uneasy. I heard that the temple hall in the palace can calm one's mind, so I want to go and listen to the scriptures."
Since the State Preceptor had entered the palace a few years ago, the Emperor had built a temple hall in the palace for convenience. Usually, the womenfolk in the palace who were sincere about Buddhism would often go and listen to the scriptures. The Emperor was also happy to see this happen.
GuGu Yang also knew about what happened on the day of Jiang Li's wedding, and she sighed in her heart. Hong 'an Junzhu was smart and calm, but unfortunately, she was born in the Jiang family. They were sisters from the same fu, but how could there be such a big difference? As she thought of this, she smiled and said, "Junzhu is talking about the small temple hall? It's at the end of the southern courtyard. This maidservant will bring Junzhu there. "
Jiang Ruan smiled, "Thank you GuGu."
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