Du Juan trembled as she looked at Jin San. Jin San smiled with sincerity, "But I like beautiful ladies like you the most. If you listen to me obediently, I will be more than willing to marry you. If you don't," Jin San's tone of voice suddenly turned cold, "That little lover of yours will be implicated by you." Du Juan trembled as she looked at Jin San.
"I promise you." Du Juan hurriedly said. When she had helped Cai Que to frame Jiang Ruan, she had been very hesitant. Cai Que was not a child of the household, so she naturally had to think carefully before she left the fu. Du Juan's family was still working at the Jiang fu's farmstead, and for the sake of their own family, they should not be involved in these matters. Later, because Master Wang had reluctantly agreed to this matter, there was still some hesitation in her heart. That day, Old Jiang Madame had asked her to pack tea leaves, and she had taken the opportunity to stay inside for a long time. Later, when asked, she had only said that she had not seen it clearly, and her attitude was specious.
At this moment, Du Juan heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. Fortunately, she had been cautious back then. Otherwise, she would have ended up in the same state as Cai Que. Looking at Cai Que's collapsed state in the mourning hall, Du Juan could not help but shiver.
After Jin San and Jin Yi finished their business, they left. At the same time, Ruan Ju's Tian Zhu also leaped into the courtyard. Bai Zhi, Lian Qiao and Lu Zhu had been waiting anxiously for a long time, and when they saw Tian Zhu return, they all breathed a sigh of relief. These days, there had been old women keeping watch outside Ruan Ju's door. Fortunately, Tian Zhu knew martial arts and was able to avoid those eyes and ears.
Bai Zhi asked, "Has the matter been settled?"
Tian Zhu nodded. It was not difficult for her to put arsenic in the fu, and she had originally wanted to put some in Jiang Dan's courtyard. However, Jiang Ruan had previously instructed that Jiang Dan would be able to get away with it. Since she could not take it down in one fell swoop, there was no need to beat the grass and alert the enemy. Although Tian Zhu was somewhat unwilling, she still endured.
Lian Qiao breathed a sigh of relief, "We can only wait for the good news from Wang Ye tomorrow."
...
The night passed, and everyone had their own thoughts. Early the next morning, a group of soldiers arrived at the prison. The official leading them was a stranger, but he was very respectful towards Jiang Ruan. He only said that it was a misunderstanding and hoped that she would not punish him.
Jiang Ruan did not make things difficult for the official. As soon as she reached the door of the big shot, she saw that Zhao Yuan Feng was waiting for her there. When he saw her come out, he rushed forward and examined her from head to toe. Only when he saw that Jiang Ruan was safe and sound did he nod his head in satisfaction, "As expected, he is very considerate."
Jiang Ruan said in a low voice, "Little Maternal Uncle."
Zhao Yuanfeng looked at her with a smile and waved her hand. "Ruan girl, since you came out today, I'll take you to see a good show."
Jiang Ruan smiled, "Alright."
…
Early in the morning, when the servants of the Jiang fu had risen early to tidy up and clean up, they heard a heavy pounding on the main entrance of the Jiang fu. The manservant who was guarding the door opened it and saw a group of officials carrying sabers walking in in a line. They looked fierce and fiendish. The older woman hurriedly came forward and said, "Sir, why did you …"
However, the officer rudely waved the old woman aside and said, "Get out of my way. I am here to arrest a criminal of the imperial court!"
The old woman quivered in fright. In this fu, other than Jiang Chao and Jiang Quan, there was no one else who was an official, so how could he bear the four words' court criminal '? Could it be that something had happened to Master? The old woman was so frightened that she kept quiet out of fear. The officers and soldiers no longer paid attention to her and entered the main entrance of the Jiang fu without consulting anyone. Not long after, Second Yiniang was escorted out of the courtyard.
"Sir, you've been wrongly accused. This concubine did not do anything." Second Yiniang still did not understand what had happened. Instead, before she heard news of Jiang Ruan's mishap, a group of officers and soldiers arrived. The leader of the officers and soldiers was not Li Qiang. He glared at her fiercely and said, "Shut up. If you have anything to say, then come with us to the yamen!"
That officer was truly ferocious. Second Yiniang was so frightened that she did not dare to speak again. When Jiang Quan heard the news, he hurriedly brought some people out to investigate. When he saw the leader of the officers, he frowned and asked, "May I ask what crime this lowly concubine has committed?"
Originally, with Jiang Quan's rank, when these officers saw him, even if they did not fawn over him, they would still treat him with respect. Today, however, it was different. The leader of the officers and soldiers glanced at Jiang Quan and said in a meaningful tone, "Jiang daren, it is best that you do not interfere in this matter. Be careful not to invite trouble upon yourself." Finished speaking, he called out to his subordinates and left without looking back.
Jiang Quan's heart turned cold. That officer's tone had a profound meaning. He had taken Second Yiniang away, yet he made it sound so serious. What did he mean by inviting trouble upon himself? Moreover, bringing so many people to arrest Second Yiniang, wasn't this making a big fuss over a minor issue? He was also a person who had been in the officialdom for so many years. Immediately, a conjecture emerged in his mind. Could it be that there was a problem with the Minister of Appointments?
Back to Second Yiniang, she followed the officers and soldiers all the way to the yamen. Two officers and soldiers were left behind to watch over her, while the leader of the officers and his subordinates entered first. Second Yiniang's heart was in turmoil. After thinking for a while, she hardened her heart and plucked out two jade rings from her fingers. A few days ago, in order to bribe Li Qiang, she had already sold off all her jewelry. This jade ring was given to her by Jiang Quan when he first brought her into the fu, and she could not bear to pawn it off. Now that the situation was urgent, she could not care too much. Grabbing the two jade rings, she stuffed them into the hands of the two officers and smiled apologetically, "Officers, may I ask why you want to arrest me?"
The jade ring was of excellent quality. If it was taken out to be pawned, it could be sold for a thousand or eight hundred taels. Normally, it was rare for these yamen runners to see such goods and would naturally have a tacit understanding. However, today, this trick did not work. The two yamen runners looked at each other and did not stretch out their hands to receive the jade rings.
Seeing this, Second Yiniang's heart sank. She was not afraid of asking for things, but she was afraid of not accepting what she had given. Had the matter already reached such a serious point? What could have happened that even two yamen runners did not dare to accept things?
Second Yiniang's expression changed and she smiled, "Officers, that …. Do you know where your Li Qiang, Li Daren, has gone? "
One of the yamen runners looked at her in surprise, "Li Daren? Yesterday, there was not even a shadow of him, and there was no one in the fu. The higher-ups have changed people. Even if they returned, it would not be his turn. " After thinking for a while, he looked at Second Yiniang and said, "Don't play any tricks, save your strength for the court."
"Why are you talking nonsense with her?" The other yamen runner impatiently urged.
Second Yiniang was even more alarmed. She did not know how long she had waited, but she heard someone beating the Drum of Clear Injustice outside. Each beat seemed to strike at the heart of the people.
The Drum of Clear Injustice would only be beaten when there was a major case. Usually, it would implicate court officials. When the drum stopped beating, Second Yiniang was brought to the court.
Two rows of yamen runners stood on either side. The Great Master at the top was not the one that Second Yiniang was familiar with. He had a very unapproachable appearance. What shocked Second Yiniang the most was not this. To the left of the middle seat, sat a figure that she was very familiar with. Jiang Ruan's makeup was clean and neat, and she had changed into a light green dress. She was still as gorgeous and charming as before. At this moment, she looked at Second Yiniang with a smile that was not a smile.
Second Yiniang's heart sank. She hated that Jiang Ruan had escaped a calamity again. She was very unreconciled, and her gaze towards Jiang Ruan was like a sharp sword dipped in poison.
When Second Yiniang's appearance fell into the eyes of the others in the court, they were somewhat displeased. Zhao Yuan Feng coughed lightly, "I see that this sinful woman has not yet figured out her own identity. Ke Daren?"
Ke Xiu Ran, who was sitting in the main seat, quivered and looked at Zhao Yuan Feng. Everyone knew that this Zhao family's Third Master had an arrogant and unruly temperament. However, the Zhao family had three generations of military generals and was still quite capable. Offending him would cause many difficulties in the court in the future. Besides, today, Zhao Yuan Feng had personally come to observe the case. Wasn't it to support Hong 'an Junzhu? It would be better to do him a favor, and it would be easier to handle matters in the future. Thinking of this, Ke Xiu Ran slammed the gavel and shouted, "Sinful woman, do you know your crime?"
Second Yiniang shook her head and was panic-stricken, "This lowly concubine does not know what crime I have committed?"
Ke Xiu Ran said, "Bring the witness!"
An official escorted two servant girls forward. One of them had disheveled hair and muttered, "This servant is wrong. Old Furen, this servant did not intentionally harm you. It was Second Yiniang who made this servant do so. Old Furen, this servant is wrong …" She was already delirious. It was Cai Que.
The other person knelt down and said in a clear voice, "Replying to Daren's words, this servant is Du Juan. This servant can testify that it was Second Yiniang who bribed Cai Que to drug Old Furen in order to slander Junzhu. Second Yiniang also threatened this servant that if this servant spoke the truth, she would kill this servant's entire family in the rural residence. "
"Nonsense, when did I …" Second Yiniang said unwillingly.
"Second Yiniang gave Cai Que a large sum of money. If Daren does not believe, you can go and check Cai Que's room."
"There is no need. This official has already checked." Ke Xiu Ran waved his hand.
The official at the side then said, "Jiang Li shi, you killed for money and poisoned Jiang shi to death. You did not repent and conspired to frame Hong 'an Junzhu. In order to silence her, you hired assassins to kill her. Your heart is evil and does not hunger for snakes or scorpions. You are vicious like a jackal and wolf. If this can be tolerated, what can it be? Even the heavens are clear. How can this residence tolerate you? The law states that the murderer must die. Today, you are sentenced to be beheaded."
Once the words' beheaded 'were said, Second Yiniang was like a piece of cork that had lost its backbone. She could no longer support herself and collapsed softly. She was originally a cowardly and vicious person and did not even have the strength to defend herself. There was only one thing on her mind, and that was that the matter had been exposed. But when she thought that her father was the Minister of Appointments and might have a way to save her, her eyes lit up and she cried, "This lowly concubine is wronged! This lowly concubine is wronged! Master, please let this lowly concubine see father! "
Jiang Ruan smiled slightly. Second Yiniang wholeheartedly wanted to rely on her maiden family and perhaps even wanted Hu Qianqiu's help. However, the Li family was having difficulty protecting themselves. As for Hu Qianqiu … … it was likely that there would no longer be such a person in the Imperial Censorate in the future.
Ke Xiu Ran slammed the gavel again. His eyes flashed with a trace of deep meaning as he shouted, "Bring in the sinner Li De Xing!"
Second Yiniang felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
She saw the officers and soldiers escorting a few people with shackles on their hands and dressed in prisoner's uniform. They were none other than Second Yiniang's father, Minister Li, and his brother.
Minister Li cut a sorry figure from head to toe. It was obvious that he had suffered a lot. When he saw Second Yiniang, he fiercely spat at her and scolded, "Scourge!"
Second Yiniang was stunned, "Father, this is … …"
"Get lost!" Minister Li was extremely irritable.
"Silence!" Ke Xiu Ran slammed the gavel with a very serious expression.
Minister Li clenched his teeth. If it was in the past, would Ke Xiu Ran dare to treat him like this? This morning, early in the morning, the officials were ordered to search the Minister's residence. He was initially in disbelief, but the information that the officials revealed actually shocked him. Everything that had happened in the past had been dug up. Even the business that he had thought was flawless had been dug up by others. If it was anything else, it would be fine. However, forming a faction with the court officials was a taboo of the Emperor.
Minister Li's life could be considered as smooth sailing. He did not expect that he would be plotted against today. There were some things that he himself did not remember clearly, but they were dug out by others. His confession in prison was listed out one by one. Minister Li almost suspected that his trusted aide had betrayed him.
The charges even implicated Hu Qianqiu. It was said that Hu Qianqiu had accepted money from Second Yiniang and that Second Yiniang had obstructed official duties. At that time, Minister Li felt that it was strange. It was fine if it was the other charges, but how did Second Yiniang's matter get mixed in? The jailer had some friendship with him in the past. He kindly reminded, "Minister Li, if you want to blame someone, blame your daughter. Of all people, she had to provoke Hong 'an Junzhu. The person behind Hong 'an Junzhu is not someone that the Minister fu can afford to offend. "
Minister Li asked who the person behind Hong 'an Junzhu was, but the jailer refused to say. However, Minister Li did know one thing, and it was all caused by Second Yiniang. In other words, Second Yiniang had destroyed the entire Li family.
When Minister Li saw Second Yiniang now, he wished that he had not strangled her when she was born. The Li family and the court officials had been destroyed in the hands of this stupid pig-like daughter! When he saw Zhao Yuan Feng, he was puzzled. Could it be that the person behind Hong 'an Junzhu was the Zhao family? Jiang Ruan was the grandson of the Zhao family, so it was natural for her to help. However, the Zhao family had always been open and aboveboard. They would not be so ruthless. Once they made a move, they would want the lifeline of the entire household.
The officer shook open the scroll and read, word by word, "Li De Xing, as an official of the imperial court, you have disregarded the law, harmed people's lives, embezzled and bribed, concealed from the Emperor, and deceived the common people. Collecting the wealth of the people and colluding with the authorities, this court sentences you to be beheaded and abandoned, to rot with the grass and trees, to be eaten by insects and mice, to be fed by flies, to die without a burial. "
"In the Li family, the men are thieves and the women are prostitutes. They do not cultivate their moral integrity internally and do not cultivate virtue externally. They are devoid of virtue and conduct. This court sentences the descendants of the Li family to be stripped of their official positions. The Li family will never be able to enter the imperial examinations. "
"No — —" Second Yiniang cried out in panic. Why was it like this? It was fine if she was the one who had been exposed, but why was the Li residence also raided? What was the matter with the crimes that were listed? She raised her head to look at Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan was sitting calmly and the smile on her lips was beautiful to the bone. It seemed to carry a deep sense of mockery as she looked down at their sorry state.
"It's you … …" Second Yiniang murmured.
"Bring Hu Qianqiu!" Ke Xiu Ran said again.
This time, the person being escorted by the officers was Hu Qianqiu.
When Hu Qianqiu was brought up, he glared fiercely at Ke Xiu Ran. In the beginning, Ke Xiu Ran had been singlehandedly promoted by him and could be considered a talented person. Who knew that in recent years, Ke Xiu Ran would become a threat to his position. This time, his fall from grace was certainly due to Ke Xiu Ran adding fuel to the fire.
Ke Xiu Ran also saw Hu Qianqiu's gaze and was somewhat pleased with himself. He shouted, "Hu Qianqiu, listen to the sentence. You have acted rashly as an official, colluded with someone else's concubine, and framed a junzhu. You are truly muddle-headed and have no face to be an official. Today, you are stripped of your imperial examinations and demoted to commoner status. You will never be able to become an official."
Ke Xiu Ran's heart was stifled. Although he knew that his official position would definitely be lost, when he heard the words' never be able to become an official ', he could not help but feel a tightness in his chest and spit out a mouthful of blood.
"Qianqiu!" Second Yiniang panicked and crawled to Hu Qianqiu's side.
"Get lost!" Hu Qianqiu no longer had the affectionate and affectionate look of the past. He pulled her away with a palm and looked at her as if he was looking at an enemy, "Slut!"
If it were not for her, how could he, the dignified Minister of the Imperial Censor, have fallen to such a state? He had originally wanted to use her to form a connection with the Jiang fu, but now that his career had been ruined, who in the capital would dare to tolerate him in the future?
Second Yiniang stared blankly at Hu Qianqiu, as if she was looking at a stranger. She did not understand why everything had changed overnight. The Li family had fallen to such a state, Hu Qianqiu's official position was also in danger, and they were all filled with hatred towards her. Was she the one who had caused them to become like this?
Jiang Ruan smiled as she sat in the middle of the hall, as if nothing could shake her composure and calmness. She was like a demoness who drifted away from the world of mortals, indifferently and cynically overlooking everyone's struggle.
Feeling Second Yiniang's gaze, Jiang Ruan turned her head. That pair of clear and charming eyes were clearly devoid of any emotion, but Second Yiniang understood. She was saying: If you're willing to bet, you must be willing to lose.
If you're willing to bet, you must be willing to lose. Second Yiniang laughed bitterly. That laughter became louder and louder, so sharp that everyone present could not help but frown. However, Second Yiniang was still laughing, and her face was full of tears.
She looked at Jiang Ruan, "Eldest Miss, you're ruthless! I can't win against you, even when I'm at death's door. "
Jiang Ruan did not speak, and Second Yiniang laughed bitterly. It was her fault, and she only had herself to blame. She had caused her maiden family and her childhood sweetheart's lives to be ruined, and caused her own daughter to die tragically in the Doctor's fu. Her skills were inferior, and she had been incited by others. She was extremely stupid, and in the end, the entire Minister's fu was buried with her!
However, she was wrong, but were others not at fault?
As a concubine's daughter, she had no way of choosing her own husband, and could only be given to another person by her father like a gift. In the fu, she had the legal wife to suppress her, and there were other concubines fighting for favor. Her only daughter could only be like her, forever carrying the identity of a concubine's daughter! She had only wanted her daughter to live a better life, and she had strived hard to fight for it. She had snatched someone else's marriage, but in the end, retribution had fallen on her daughter. She had wanted to perish together with the main culprit, but in the end, she had lost the entire Li family.
Now, she had finally become a sinner that everyone loathed. She was wrong, but she had been forced to do so!
Second Yiniang broke down and grabbed at her hair. Her long hair, which had always been coiled into a delicate bun, was pulled apart by her. Her hair was disheveled, and her face was dirty like a lunatic. Where was the original shrewd and beautiful appearance? She foolishly stroked her long hair, and her gaze was somewhat unfocused. She whispered, "Li 'er, don't be afraid. Mother will bring you home now."
Her expression was chaotic, and no longer clear.
Everyone present could not help but be moved, and they sighed in their hearts. Hu Qianqiu and Minister Li were even more disgusted when they saw this. Zhao Yuan Feng subconsciously looked at Jiang Ruan's expression, thinking that he could find other emotions on her face. However, all he saw was Jiang Ruan's indifferent expression. Although there was a smile at the corner of her mouth, there was not even a trace of excess emotion in her gaze. It was as if nothing in the world could move her.
Zhao Yuan Feng sighed in his heart. Looking at today's matter, it seemed that she was not completely unaware of it. Perhaps, this niece of hers had also contributed to it. She had long known that Jiang Ruan's heart was like a boulder, but this kind of indifference was really too shocking. Other people's young ladies were now at the age of flowers, laughing and making noise every day, but her niece was calm all day long. It was as if … as if she was an old woman who had lived for many years. Zhao Yuan Feng shook her head. She did not know whether she would be able to meet someone in the future who would open the door to her heart.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
