Even after so many years, Jing Zhu Yuan was still clean and spotless.
When Princess Yuan Rong turned fourteen and reached her marriageable age, the late Emperor had opened up a piece of land in the depths of the palace and renovated it into an exquisite courtyard. He had given it to Princess Yuan Rong as a gift.
However, the garden was still there, but the person had passed away. Even when Princess Yuan Rong married another country, the garden was not completely renovated. However, the scenery was still very good. After the late Emperor passed away, Empress Dowager Yi De had also sent people to tidy up the courtyard.
However, although the garden was good, Empress Dowager Yi De had never set foot in it. Perhaps she was afraid that seeing it would remind her of the person and arouse the guilt and guilt in her heart. Thus, Jing Zhu Yuan became a unique existence in the depths of the palace. It was clearly renovated every day, but it was also a deserted garden.
However, the desolation of Jing Zhu Yuan had changed because of Jiang Ruan's arrival. Jiang Ruan had inherited many privileges that only Princess Yuan Rong had, including the freedom to walk around Jing Zhu Yuan as she pleased. It had to be said that the late Emperor must have loved Princess Yuan Rong very much. Every part of Jing Zhu Yuan's scenery had been renovated with great care. Inside, there was even a library, a study, and a small courtyard for people to rest in.
However, the Princess's Palace was still some distance away from Jing Zhu Yuan. Jiang Ruan usually did not go there and only occasionally stepped in.
One day, a palace maid came from outside with a small basket in her hand and walked towards Jing Zhu Yuan. Looking at the direction, she was probably walking towards Jing Zhu Yuan. The basket in her hand was probably to pick flower petals. Recently, Jiang Ruan had been learning how to mix incense and often let the palace maids of the Princess's Palace enter Jing Zhu Yuan to pick some flower petals. Along the way, there were occasionally little eunuchs and palace maids who could help and even gain some benefits.
Today, this palace maid was halfway through when she was suddenly called, "Stop!"
The palace maid turned around and looked. Perhaps she did not recognize the person. After looking for a long time, she finally recognized that it was none other than Princess He Yi.
Princess He Yi quickly walked over and looked at the flower basket in the palace maid's hand. She frowned and asked, "Where are you going?"
"This servant is under the order of Hong An Junzhu to enter Jing Zhu Yuan to pick flower petals." The palace maid lowered her head and said.
"Oh, Jing Zhu Yuan." Princess He Yi's expression froze, and she said, "In that case, you can go."
The palace maid looked at Princess He Yi in surprise. She did not expect that the princess, who had always been domineering, would be so easy to talk to today. However, this was a good thing for her. Immediately, she hurriedly picked up the flower basket and bowed to Princess He Yi before leaving.
However, the palace maid did not notice that Princess He Yi did not leave. Instead, she stood where she was and stared in the direction she left in. She quietly followed her until she saw the palace maid turn a long corridor and enter a manor. Her figure then disappeared.
Princess He Yi straightened her clothes. Today, she was wearing a plain green brocade robe. This was already very simple for someone like her, who had always loved gorgeous gold clothing. She didn't have any makeup on her face, and her entire person was like a completely different person. At first glance, it wasn't easy to recognize her.
She straightened her clothes and a strange smile appeared on her face. Then, she followed the direction of the palace maid and walked towards the courtyard.
The courtyard seemed to be unguarded, and the renovations were as exquisite as the rumors said. Princess He Yi couldn't help but have a resentful expression. When she was young, she had inadvertently heard the palace maids talk about Jing Zhu Yuan. She had once asked the Emperor for it, but the Emperor, who had always doted on her, had refused without thinking. Princess He Yi had a strong temperament. After she knew that Jing Zhu Yuan was untouchable, she never came back and only thought that the palace didn't have such a place. Who knew that when Jiang Ruan came, although she didn't have the garden, Empress Dowager Yi De allowed her to come in and walk around. For Princess He Yi, this was a humiliation. The hatred in her heart towards Jiang Ruan deepened by another layer. As long as it was something that Jiang Ruan liked or took a fancy to, Jiang Ruan would always snatch it away.
The garden was very big, and there were beautiful sceneries everywhere. She had never been here before and didn't know how beautiful it was. Now that she saw it, the more beautiful it was, the more she wanted to possess it. She couldn't wait to enter the garden.
However, she didn't know why there weren't any guards inside, and she didn't know where the study was. After forcing herself to turn for a long time, when Princess He Yi was starting to get impatient, she suddenly saw a bamboo building in the distance after circling around a huge camphor tree.
This bamboo building looked brand new, and it was hidden among the trees. It was indescribably elegant and romantic. This should be the legendary study. Sitting in this study, watching the shadows of the trees swaying, drinking tea, and reading was naturally a very pleasant thing to do.
Princess He Yi's eyes were blazing with anger, and she had an urge to burn down the entire bamboo house. However, when she touched the envelope in her sleeve, the anger on her face subsided and was replaced by a smile.
The contents of the envelope were none other than the evidence of Jiang Ruan's treason. Although Empress Shu had promised to charge Jiang Ruan with treason and let her die without a burial, she hadn't found the right time. Empress Shu could wait, but Princess He Yi couldn't. She knew that if she waited any longer, the Emperor would bestow a marriage. So what if Jiang Ruan was convicted? At that time, with Xiao Shao's protection, it would be even more difficult to act.
The people by Princess He Yi's side were all given to her by Empress Shu. If she let her people do it, Empress Shu would naturally know. Empress Shu didn't allow her to act recklessly, so she couldn't alarm her. However, Princess He Yi's temperament had never been one to endure patiently. On this day, she really couldn't bear it anymore, so she secretly stole the 'evidence' from Empress Shu's room, wanting to complete this matter herself.
The evidence was none other than the letters that Jiang Ruan had exchanged with the people of Tian Jin. In those letters, Jiang Ruan was addressed very affectionately, and it faintly mentioned that Jiang Xin Zhi was already safe. There was even the seal of a Tian Jin minister on the letter.
Now that Jiang Xin Zhi's army had been defeated, he was already in a very dangerous situation. As long as this letter was found, the crime would naturally be unpardonable. Almost immediately, Jiang Xin Zhi's crime would be confirmed, and this crime would be even more serious. Jiang Xin Zhi and his sister had colluded with the enemy to commit treason, acting as spies for the enemy of Tian Jin. They were sinners of the Great Jin dynasty. In this way, the people of the Great Jin dynasty would naturally throw Jiang Ruan into prison. In the future, even if Jiang Xin Zhi didn't die, he would never be able to survive in the Great Jin.
This kind of life where he was hunted down everywhere like a stray dog was the best punishment for Jiang Xin Zhi. Didn't Jiang Ruan's heart ache for her eldest brother? She was going to destroy him.
Princess He Yi thought proudly. She had already made inquiries. The Princess's Palace was guarded like an iron bucket, and there was no way to make a move. However, Jing Zhu Yuan was extremely easy to make a move. Jiang Ruan normally didn't go in often. These days, she had only sent palace maids to pick some flower petals, which was very convenient for her. It was just that her people were afraid of alerting Honored Consort Shu, so she could only do it herself. Princess He Yi was not afraid. If the matter was exposed, as a princess, as long as she was not caught with evidence, she could do nothing to her, right? Today, she had followed this palace maid to Jing Zhu Yuan. As long as she took advantage of the fact that no one had placed the evidence in the study, and then coincidentally spread the news that Jiang Ruan had colluded with the enemy, she could search Jing Zhu Yuan. With the evidence in front of her, how could Jiang Ruan deny it?
Princess He Yi's plan was very good, but she had never thought that this bamboo building would be so difficult to find. However, she still had some hesitation in her heart. How could she not see a single palace maid or eunuch in Jing Zhu Yuan? Normally, there would at least be servants in charge of tidying up the place, but now, not to mention the guards, there wasn't even a single person sweeping the courtyard.
Along the way, she hadn't seen any flowers. Didn't Jiang Ruan usually send palace maids to pick flower petals? How come there wasn't even a single flower here? Then what was the palace maid carrying the flower basket doing here? It couldn't be that she was here to pick tree leaves, right?
Princess He Yi faintly felt that it was a little strange, and suspected that she had gone the wrong way. However, just now, that palace maid had indeed walked in this direction. Princess He Yi had only hesitated for a moment before she made up her mind. So what if she was wrong? She was the dignified Princess of the Great Jin dynasty. Apart from the Emperor's bedchamber, there was nowhere else in the palace that she didn't dare to go. This place also didn't have any guards, and it definitely wasn't some forbidden area in the depths of the palace. Since she had already entered today, if she didn't go up and investigate, wouldn't it be a wasted trip?
Princess He Yi had always been proud and arrogant, and refused to admit defeat. She simply didn't place this place in her eyes. Moreover, she wholeheartedly wanted to put Jiang Ruan to death, so why would she care about such things? A person who had been blinded by hatred, no matter how astute she usually was, would not be able to clearly weigh the pros and cons at this moment.
She then lifted her skirt and slowly walked up the bamboo building. The bamboo building was exquisitely renovated. Princess He Yi walked up the steps of the bamboo building. When she reached the seventh step, she didn't know what she touched, but she only heard the sound of wind, and with a swoosh, a sharp blade jumped out. Not expecting such a huge change, Princess He Yi immediately screamed. Before she could react, she heard a familiar voice coming from the bamboo building, "Who is it?"
"Ben —" Before the two words "Princess" could leave her mouth, Princess He Yi felt a layer of sharp silver light on her face. Immediately after, the steps under her feet collapsed, and she fell straight down.
With a 'peng' sound, a cloud of dust rose from the ground. Falling from a two-storey bamboo building was not life-threatening, but Princess He Yi was usually a delicate and noble noble. The fall made her face pale. She didn't know where her bones were broken, but she immediately sucked in a breath of cold air and cursed in pain.
"Ninth Sister." That familiar voice spoke again, stopping in front of Princess He Yi. Princess He Yi widened her eyes, "Eighth Brother, Fourth Brother."
Xuan Li and Xuan Lang stood in front of her. Both of them had a look of surprise on their faces. Obviously, Princess He Yi's arrival had also shocked them.
"Why are you here?" Princess He Yi had suffered a loss and was unwilling to let the matter rest. Her heart was extremely angry, and because of the pain from her leg injury, she did not think twice and rebuked them like she usually did, "You have caused me to become like this, I am going to tell Imperial Father. I am going to tell Imperial Father that the two of you conspired together to discuss bad things, and even wanted to kill me to silence me! "
Princess He Yi had always had a big mouth, and she was used to putting the blame on others. Normally, she would often use such words to threaten Xuan Hua, but it was just for the sake of her mouth being happy. Today, she just wanted Xuan Li and Xuan Lang to feel that they were in the wrong, and it would be best if they could help her deal with Jiang Ruan.
Unfortunately, this time, Princess He Yi had miscalculated.
When Xuan Li and Xuan Lang heard this, their expressions immediately changed. Xuan Lang said, "Ninth Sister, what are you saying?"
"Fourth Brother, are you bullying me because I don't know anything?" Princess He Yi had always looked down on Xuan Lang, and at this moment, her words were even more harsh, "I did not expect Fourth Brother to be such an ambitious person. Why, now that you have chosen to follow Eighth Brother, could it be that you have become more confident? Hmph, Fourth Brother, I am afraid that you have long forgotten the time when you begged me and my Imperial Mother. Fourth Brother, as a person, one cannot forget one's roots. "
Xuan Lang had always been known as a useless person. Although Consort Xian occupied the position of the four consorts, she did not actually have much status in the palace. Xuan Lang had once angered an envoy from another country, and at that time, Consort Shu was the most favoured. Xuan Lang had personally knelt in front of Consort Shu and Princess He Yi for a full eight hours before Consort Shu said a few good words to the Emperor.
If one were to say that Princess He Yi did not have any other abilities, then her ability to provoke others was ten against ten. She had probably learned this fearlessness from Consort Shu, but Princess He Yi's brain was not as good as Consort Shu's. For example, at this moment, it was obvious that Xuan Lang's expression had already changed, but Princess He Yi was still chattering incessantly.
Xuan Lang had already been threatened by Jiang Ruan the day before yesterday, so he was naturally alarmed and frightened. At this moment, Princess He Yi's words had caused the emotions that had been hidden in his heart to burst forth. Looking at the beautiful, distorted face in front of him, Xuan Lang suddenly recalled many years ago, when he was still a youth. Although he was a prince, he had been forced to kneel outside the gates of Shu Fang Palace. Inside, under the scorching sun, the mother and daughter pair laughed and listened as they talked about love and ate iced watermelon, turning a deaf ear to his sweat. The palace maids and eunuchs that came and went were all laughing at him, and he knew that they all looked down on him.
There were always some women in the world who had hearts like snakes and scorpions. The humiliation that the mother and daughter pair had inflicted on him in Shu Fang Palace had suddenly become unbearable. So what if he wanted to attach himself to Xuan Li? From now on, the great undertaking of the country would have Xuan Li's dragon throne, and he would also have an acre of land. With the great undertaking right in front of him, what could a small woman amount to?
Xuan Lang suddenly cupped his hands towards Xuan Li and said, "Eighth Younger Brother, I'm afraid that our conversation just now has been heard by Ninth Younger Sister. This is not a good thing."
When Princess He Yi saw that Xuan Lang's reaction was different from before, she suddenly felt a sense of panic. However, she had always been good at pretending and did not show the slightest bit of it on her face.
Xuan Li glanced at Xuan Lang, "Fourth Younger Brother, what do you mean?"
"This matter is of great importance, there must not be the slightest mistake." Xuan Lang said in a low voice, "Only a dead person is absolutely safe."
"You're crazy, Xuan Lang!" Princess He Yi widened her eyes in disbelief. If she had not heard it with her own ears, she would never have believed that the person in front of her with such frightening words was the incompetent prince that everyone in the palace had abandoned. She twisted her body uneasily, but her foot injury prevented her from standing up. She could only use words to threaten him, "Xuan Lang, you dare to kill me? Aren't you afraid that if Imperial Father finds out, he will chop off your and Imperial Mother's heads? You're just a useless prince, what right do you have to — "
It would have been better if she hadn't said it. After Princess He Yi finished speaking, Xuan Lang's expression became even more gloomy. He turned his head and sincerely said to Xuan Li, "Eighth Younger Brother, please reconsider."
Xuan Li naturally saw that Xuan Lang was not normal, but he was not in a hurry to refuse. Instead, he suddenly laughed, "Fourth Older Brother's words are reasonable. Fourth Older Brother, why don't you handle this matter this time?"
His smile was like a spring breeze, as if he was chatting about a painting or an ancient inkstone. He was naturally cultured and refined, but the words that came out of his mouth seemed to carry a cold chill, and the meaning within it made people shudder.
Xuan Lang was startled, and he could not help but admire Xuan Li's scheming. Xuan Li had originally wanted to kill Princess He Yi for today's matter, but he was the one who brought it up. In this way, it was natural for him to make a move on her. This was a test from Xuan Li. If the matter was not exposed, he would have a handle on him in front of Xuan Li in the future. If the matter was exposed, this matter would have nothing to do with Xuan Li.
Princess He Yi was extremely shocked, and at this moment, she truly felt fear. She repeatedly said, "No … It wasn't me. I didn't hear anything. Don't kill me, I didn't see anything …"
Xuan Lang's eyes narrowed. Even if Princess He Yi really didn't hear anything today, she saw his sinister side and knew that he wanted to kill her to keep her quiet. Leaving her alive would definitely cause more trouble in the future. Moreover … Xuan Lang looked at Princess He Yi, who was crawling at his feet, and for some reason, he suddenly felt a faint sense of pleasure. It was as if he was enjoying this feeling. It was as if a layer of dark thoughts suddenly appeared in his mind. He wanted to see that beautiful body covered in scars and her twisted expression forever frozen. It was as if he could find the dignity that he had lost in that way.
He slowly revealed a strange smile, "Alright, Eighth Younger Brother, leave it to me."
"No — —" Princess He Yi screamed, and in a panic, she wanted to call for help. However, there were no guards in this desolate and uninhabited garden. Even if there were guards, they would probably not come to save her. That pair of slender hands grasped the air weakly, and as if someone had suddenly sucked out all of their strength, they slowly drooped down. A smear of blood spurted out from the tip of the sword.
Xuan Lang slowly pulled out his long sword. That pair of eyes that had always looked weak and mediocre flashed with a never before seen excitement. It was very strange. It was as if he was a mouse that had caught a glimpse of a delicious delicacy, causing people to feel disgusted for no reason. If someone passed by, they would definitely be shocked because Xuan Lang's expression at this moment was like someone who had been possessed by a demon. Xuan Li took a step back, as if he was afraid that the blood would stain the corner of his robe. However, the expression on his face did not change at all.
The blood slowly spread, and it flowed down Princess He Yi's sleeves. The 'evidence of crime' in her sleeves was also stained red by the blood. The words gradually became hazy, and in the end, even the seal could not be seen clearly. Princess He Yi's eyes widened, and her face was filled with disbelief. Perhaps she did not expect that this incompetent prince, who she had never cared about, would eventually take her life. Perhaps she hadn't expected that this exquisite garden would become her burial ground in the end.
The last thing she saw was the clean corner of the clothes of the two people in front of her. Compared to her bloody and sticky body, it formed a sharp contrast.
The last thing she heard was Xuan Li asking indifferently, "How did she find this place?"
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