In the end, the matter of Jiang Su Su's inexplicable disappearance was exposed. The dozen or so imperial bodyguards who had followed her did not realize that something was wrong until dawn broke the next day. They called out a few times, but no one responded. Only then did they discover that there was only a dead servant girl in the carriage, and that the Young Miss was nowhere to be seen.
When the dozen or so imperial bodyguards returned to the Minister's fu in a panic and reported the matter to Jiang Quan, Jiang Quan was so angry that he almost fainted. However, the words of the imperial bodyguards were clear. Jiang Su Su had killed her personal servant girl, disguised herself as her personal servant girl, and escaped by herself. She could not blame anyone else. The people that Jiang Quan had sent also confirmed that this was indeed the case. Besides cursing the wicked girl, Jiang Quan could not say anything else. It was just that the dignified Young Miss of a fu had escaped by herself, and her whereabouts were unknown. It was not something that could be explained clearly. Those dozen or so imperial bodyguards could not be left alive, so Jiang Quan ordered them to be dealt with. Perhaps these imperial bodyguards knew that they had been wronged, and used some unknown method to expose this matter before they died. In a short time, the entire capital knew that Jiang Quan had lost his fu's Second Miss.
During this period of time, the entire Minister's fu was in the eye of the storm. Walking on the streets and alleys, everywhere people talked, they could not escape the Jiang family's involvement. Jiang Quan was mad with anger, but it was difficult to stop everyone's mouths. Jiang Ruan had been brought back to Jinying Wang fu by Xiao Shao, or she had been sent to the palace to accompany Empress Dowager Yi De. In short, it was a drastic measure that Jiang Quan could do nothing about. In this way, Jiang Quan doubled the resentment in his heart and vented it on Hong Ying, who had suffered a miscarriage. Hong Ying's body was already weak, and Jiang Quan punched and kicked her every day, intending to torture her to death. Hong Ying knew that she had no way out, so one night, she swallowed gold and died.
A concubine, who had lost favour, died. Jiang Quan did not even ask for a coffin to be prepared for her. He directly ordered an old woman to roll her up in a tattered mat and throw her into the mass grave. A beauty of a generation had passed away just like that, but it was hard to say whether it was a pity or something else.
As a result, in such a large Jiang fu, besides the Eldest Concubine who lived in seclusion, there were no other concubines. Because of this, Jiang Quan had suffered a great blow. He often stood in the courtyard, lost in thought. In the past, the sweet and tender voices of the young ladies formed a sharp contrast with the current cold and desolate atmosphere, making it seem that the entire Jiang fu was gradually on the verge of collapse.
Jiang Chao was even more anxious than Jiang Quan. Jiang Chao and Jiang Su Su were siblings born from the same mother. Jiang Su Su had been doted on since she was young, so Jiang Chao naturally doted on her. Although he was angry at Jiang Su Su for being so impulsive, he still asked Xuan Li for help and sent a group of people to search for Jiang Su Su's whereabouts. Now that he could be considered useful to Xuan Li, Xuan Li would naturally adopt the attitude of a virtuous ruler, naturally he would do his best to help him.
Xuan Li's men were indeed much more useful than the servants of the Jiang fu. At least, the men that Jiang Quan had sent out had yet to find out her whereabouts. Xuan Li's men had already reported to Jiang Chao, "Replying to Young Master, we have already found the whereabouts of the Second Jiang Miss."
At that time, Jiang Chao was practicing calligraphy in his study. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't calm down, and his handwriting was crooked. When he heard this, his hand suddenly trembled and a large drop of ink fell onto the snow-white Xuan paper, enshrouding a large ink flower. He raised his head and anxiously asked, "Where is she?"
"This..." The guard looked somewhat awkward and did not speak for a long time. A bad premonition suddenly arose in Jiang Chao's heart. He no longer cared about anything else, grabbed the guard's collar and roared, "How is it!"
"Replying to Young Master." The guard was startled by Jiang Chao's appearance and no longer dared to conceal anything. He said, "The spies have come to report that the Second Young Miss has been captured and brought to the mountain bandits' lair. At present... it has already been a few days. "
With a "pa" sound, Jiang Chao could no longer hold the brush in his hand. The fine white jade weasel bristle brush fell to the ground with a crisp sound. In the quiet room, it was particularly clear. The guard felt that the surrounding atmosphere was so stagnant that it was terrifying. He remained motionless and lowered his head, not daring to look at Jiang Chao's expression.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, Jiang Chao's gnashing teeth could be heard saying, "Prepare the horse."
"Young master?" The guard was startled. When he met Jiang Chao's gaze, he could not help but stare blankly. That pair of slightly gloomy eyes were now filled with a deep hatred and madness. It was almost as if he would destroy everything in the next moment. That terrifying gaze, his expression was extremely calm. It was so calm that it was distorted. He said, "Come, come with me to save the Second Young Miss."
… …
Deep in the mountains, the sunlight seemed to be blocked by the dense canopy of trees. Only a few spots of sunlight shone down. The dilapidated village was like an abandoned pearl embedded in the mountains. It was already worn and black, but it still stubbornly remained in place.
The door opened with a "creak". A woman walked out from inside.
This woman was wearing a coarse hemp garment that had been modified from a man's clothing. The trousers were too long and had been rolled up halfway, revealing a pair of white calves. However, those white calves were covered with bruises. The same was true for her arms and neck — the garment was too big. Even though it had been modified, it still did not fit her body. Her appearance was extremely beautiful. She had the elegant appearance of a fairy. However, because she was too haggard, she seemed to have aged a little. Her eyes were also filled with a thick greenish-black color, which greatly reduced her beautiful appearance. Her skin was fair and her figure was graceful. If she wore beautiful clothes and made up a little, she would definitely be able to outshine all the other beauties. Unfortunately, this woman now only looked like a haggard peasant woman.
She carried a basket in her hand and walked out of the door. She walked to a small stream not far from the village and squatted down. From the basket, she took out pieces of clothing that reeked of alcohol and began to slowly scrub them. She washed very slowly. Because of this activity, her fair and tender hands were abraded. Her hands were red and swollen from being immersed in the ice-cold river water. It was obvious that she was not used to doing these things. Even so, she continued to scrub slowly. This woman was none other than Jiang Su Su.
Around her, there were many women like her washing their clothes by the river. Not a single one of them was not wearing clothes that covered their bodies. Some of them were beautiful, while others were slightly mediocre. However, everyone's expression was the same. They showed a kind of numbness, as if they were already used to this kind of life.
The sun rose from the east, but it did not bring the slightest bit of warmth. Jiang Su Su washed very seriously. Her eyes no longer had the disdain and ridicule from the first few days. Instead, they showed a kind of numb deference.
These few days, she had been living a hellish life. The women in this village were the men's accessories. They were the tools for them to vent their anger. On a daily basis, they had to wash, cook, and mend clothes for them. If they did not do well, they would beat them. Mountain bandits never had tender and protective feelings for the fairer sex. It did not matter if you were a young lady from a big family or a little girl from a small family. If you did not satisfy them, they would beat you. Every woman in this place has been beaten.
This was not the most painful thing. The most painful thing was that when night came, they had to serve several men at the same time. They were even worse than the women in the brothel. If the women in the brothel had a red card, they would still have to put on some airs. However, here, women had no dignity to speak of. When night came, these wild beasts only cared about venting their animal language. The lifespan of women here was not long. No one could endure such a long period of torment.
It was not that they had not thought of escaping. However, the people here had their own way of dealing with women who ran away. They would catch them and beat them up. Then, they would lock them up and repeat the nightmares of the night. In just a few days, there was not a single part of Jiang Su Su's body that was unharmed. Among this group of women, her appearance was the best. Her skin was also the most delicate. Moreover, she was a newcomer. Almost every man was full of interest in her. Therefore, her days were exceptionally bitter.
In a place like this, those so-called seductive techniques were useless. Seductive techniques were naturally very useful when used to deal with the sons of the aristocratic families. However, in this barren mountain and wilderness, other than arousing more men's bestial desires, it was useless. This was because these mountain bandits did not know how to have tender and protective feelings for the fairer sex. Deep in their bones, there was only tyranny and plunder. As a result, in a short period of time, Jiang Su Su's figure was thin and her bones stood erect. It was as if she had changed into another person.
After she finished washing her clothes, she was about to return to the house to gather firewood to start a fire to cook. Unexpectedly, she had only walked halfway when she heard the sound of galloping horses. The leader of the group stopped the horse in front of her, flipped down, and called out, "Younger Sister!"
Jiang Su Su raised her head somewhat sluggishly. It seemed that it took her a long time to clearly see the person in front of her. Stunned, she called out, "Older Brother."
Jiang Chao simply looked at Jiang Su Su in disbelief. In his heart, Jiang Su Su had always been untainted by a speck of dust. She was as beautiful as a fairy. There had never been a speck of dust on her body. Now, who was this dirty, haggard, and smelly woman? Was it still his Younger Sister, who was the most beautiful woman in the capital?
Jiang Su Su looked at Jiang Chao and blinked her eyes. Suddenly, her eyes reddened and two streams of tears rolled down. Without caring about anything else, she hugged Jiang Chao tightly and cried, "Older Brother, why did you only come now?"
Being hugged by Jiang Su Su, the tip of Jiang Chao's nose was immediately filled with a nauseating stench. This pair of brother and sister had always lived a luxurious and pampered life in the Jiang fu. From the bottom of their hearts, they looked down on the poor and considered themselves to be a cut above others. When Jiang Chao saw Jiang Su Su in such a sorry state, he was already shocked. When Jiang Su Su hugged him like this, he subconsciously reached out to push Jiang Su Su away. However, when he reached out, he was stunned. He stared blankly at the red marks on Jiang Su Su's neck.
The scouts who had returned had reported that Jiang Su Su had been kidnapped and taken to the mountain bandits' lair for a few days. She was certainly no longer a virgin. However, thinking about it in his heart was different from seeing it with his own eyes. Looking at the marks on Jiang Su Su's body, the last trace of hope in Jiang Chao's heart flew away. His mind went blank and he was somewhat speechless.
Jiang Su Su was completely unaware that the moment she saw Jiang Chao, she gradually walked out of the numb sadness and resignation of her fate from the past few days. There was only endless hatred in her heart, and her voice became sharp and distorted, "Older Brother, you have to avenge me. You have to kill all the mountain bandits here! These mountain bandits, they are not human, they hit me... Older Brother, kill them, kill them all! " Jiang Su Su cried and laughed at the same time. Her voice was already on the verge of breaking down, but the hatred in her words did not diminish in the slightest. Jiang Chao was her older brother, so he had to avenge her. These dirty, smelly men would all become corpses later. As long as she thought of this, Jiang Su Su's heart was filled with joy. She said, "And those women, they have seen me. Not a single one of them can be left alive!"
She only cared about venting the pain in her heart these past few days and did not notice Jiang Chao's expression. Jiang Chao stared fixedly at the red marks on Jiang Su Su's neck. His gaze was blank and there was a trace of absent-mindedness in his eyes.
Jiang Su Su had already become like this. Even if he brought her back, her body would no longer be pure. Originally, this younger sister was as beautiful as a fairy. It was highly possible that she would pave the way for his official career and the Jiang family's meteoric rise. She might even become the Mother of the Nation in the golden age of her youth. But now, all his plans had been ruined. Jiang Su Su's reputation was no longer known and she was no longer pure. Relying on her beauty, it was no longer possible for her to climb into a marriage that was beneficial to the Jiang fu. If today's matter were to spread out one day, Jiang Su Su would become the mountain bandits' plaything. The dignified di daughter of the Minister's Office had actually lost her purity to a motley crew. If that happened, Jiang Su Su's existence would be a spark that could ignite a big fire at any time. Leaving her alive would be a hidden danger.
Moreover, Jiang Chao's eyes darkened. Now that he was working under Xuan Li, he had already gradually improved. Xuan Li had also begun to put him in an important position. Because of Xia Yan's matter, he had already received a lot of advice from his colleagues. If there was another Jiang Su Su, it would be very difficult for his future official career to advance. Those colleagues who had been fighting with him both openly and covertly would certainly not let go of this opportunity to hit him when he was down. No, they might have already started to act. The news of Jiang Su Su's disappearance had already spread throughout the capital. If he could find Jiang Su Su, others would definitely be able to as well.
He could not let Jiang Su Su's existence become his stumbling block.
Jiang Chao's gaze fluctuated a few times, as if he had finally made a decision. He looked at Jiang Su Su, who had thrown herself into his arms, and reached out to stroke her somewhat dirty hair. He gently comforted her, "Alright, I will kill them for you. Second Brother will avenge you. These women, as well as the bandits, not a single one will be able to escape. I will send them all to see the King of Hell. "
Jiang Su Su tightly grabbed onto Jiang Chao's clothes and said, "There is also Jiang Ruan, that slut. If she had not schemed against me, how would I have ended up like this? Gege, I have fallen to this state all thanks to that slut. There is also Xiao Shao, the two of them joined forces to harm me. If I do not avenge them, I am not a human! "
"Alright," Jiang Chao's voice was so gentle that it could drip water. He lovingly patted Jiang Su Su's shoulder, as if he really was a kind and amiable elder brother. He comforted her, "Jiang Ruan, Jiang Chao, and the General fu, Jinying Wang fu, don't let a single one of them off. Gege will avenge you. These people hurt you, I want them all to accompany you in death! "
Jiang Su Su nestled in Jiang Chao's arms, feeling very happy in her heart, but she also ignored Jiang Chao's strange gaze. She asked, "Gege, when are we returning to the fu?"
"Returning to the fu?" Jiang Chao said apologetically, "Younger Sister, you cannot return to the fu."
"What?" Before Jiang Su Su could understand, she felt a chill in her chest. She looked down and saw that a snow-white sword had already pierced through her chest. The other end of the sword hilt was in Jiang Chao's hand. Jiang Chao pulled the sword back and Jiang Su Su spat out a mouthful of blood, her body softly falling to the ground.
Everything had happened so quickly that she did not even have the time to ask why. She could only stare at Jiang Chao with wide eyes filled with unwillingness. Jiang Su Su would never have thought that the rescue that she had waited for in every possible way, would ultimately die in the hands of her own elder brother.
"I'm sorry, Su Su," Jiang Chao averted his eyes, not daring to look at Jiang Su Su's corpse, "I cannot let you block my way. To achieve great things, one should not bother about trifles. Moreover, this is also to free you early. "He sighed," Don't be afraid, Mother will soon come down to accompany you. You will not feel lonely. As for the matter that I have promised you, I will not forget to avenge you. "
...
At night, in a rural residence a few hundred miles away from the capital, in a dilapidated, pitch-black house, a figure sat quietly. The oil lamp had long since dried up. It was obvious that no one had come here to add oil to the lamp for a long time. The room was filled with the smell of death and decay.
The woman was already very old, the white hair at her temples was stuck together by oil and dirt, messily unkempt at the back of her head. Her body also seemed to have not been cleaned for a long time, as if a layer of armor had formed over her entire body. Only a pair of large eyes vaguely revealed her former elegance, but it was only in the past.
Xia Yan did not know how long she had stayed here. Day after day, no one spoke to her. Every day, she lived in seclusion in this place. There were no fresh fruits or vegetables, only rancid food, dirty blankets, and a damp roof. Sometimes she was crazy, and sometimes she was sober. Most of the time she was crazy, but right now she was sober. Today, she did not know why, but she felt an inexplicable sense of unease in her heart. An inexplicable sense of melancholy blocked her heart, as if something big was about to happen. She reached out her hand, which was covered in black mud, in vain and scratched the ground.
However, she heard the door creak open.
Xia Yan abruptly raised her head and saw a person walk in with a match in his hand and gently close the door. She had not seen light for a long time, and for a moment, the light was so dazzling that she could not clearly see the person in front of her.
The person put the match aside and sat down. The light slowly subsided, and Xia Yan also began to adapt to this temporary light. She only heard a familiar voice say, "Mother."
Xia Yan was shocked, and tears immediately flowed from her eyes. She had lived in this place day after day, being bullied, humiliated, and beaten, as if she had been forgotten by everyone. She had never imagined that her own son would appear in front of her, alive and well. She opened her mouth, but because she had not spoken for a long time, her throat made a dry sound.
Seeing Xia Yan's appearance, Jiang Chao also seemed to be extremely shaken. Immediately after, a trace of anger appeared in his eyes, "They actually treated you like this!"
Previously, Xia Yan had harbored a grudge against Jiang Chao because he had not come to see her, and because Chen Fang had said that the noble person would sooner or later kill her to keep her quiet. Now, seeing Jiang Chao's appearance, she did not have the slightest bit of anger. She thought that, after all, Jiang Chao was her son, and he would always side with her. It was all these wicked slaves who had acted on their own initiative. After all, Jiang Chao still recognized her as his biological mother.
However, Xia Yan did not think that if he really cared about his biological mother, why had he not asked about her for such a long time? Even if Jiang Chao was usually very busy, it would have been good to send a servant to check on the situation. Just like when Jiang Ruan had been sent to the rural residence to be bullied and humiliated, these people had only dared to run amok because they had seen Jiang Chao's indifferent attitude towards Xia Yan. Jiang Chao was not that stupid. Naturally, he knew that Xia Yan had been sent to the rural residence to be bullied, but he had remained indifferent. This person's inner selfishness had already reached the extreme. Although Xia Yan was vicious, she was a competent mother. Everything she had done was to pave the way for Jiang Chao and his sister. Unfortunately, these two siblings cared only about themselves and did not care about their biological mother.
Jiang Chao glanced at Xia Yan and suddenly said, "Mother, younger sister is dead."
Xia Yan was stunned and looked at Jiang Chao in shock.
However, Jiang Chao continued, "She fell into someone else's trap and angered father. Father wanted to send her to the nunnery to be a nun, but she refused. Taking advantage of the night, she escaped and was caught in the mountain bandits' lair. She was raped and committed suicide."
His words were spoken calmly, but every word was like a knife stabbing into Xia Yan's heart. Xia Yan let out a blood-curdling scream, but could no longer speak. Only two streams of tears fell incessantly.
"Why did you … not protect her?" she asked with great difficulty.
"Protect her?" Jiang Chao sneered, "How could I have protected her? Mother is my and younger sister's mother, shouldn't she have protected us? Do you know how younger sister fell into someone else's trap? Younger sister wanted to seduce Jinying Wang and willingly become a concubine! Mother, do you know why younger sister, a dignified di daughter, would willingly become a concubine? Because Mother's reputation has been ruined, up until now, no one has proposed marriage to younger sister! Jiang Ruan, that slut, has already obtained the Empress Dowager's decree to marry Jinying Wang. Yet younger sister, because of Mother's corrupt morals, no one is interested in her. Younger sister's current death was caused by Mother! "
Xia Yan's entire body trembled as she looked at Jiang Chao in disbelief. At that time, she had clearly fallen into someone's trap. Even if others doubted her morals, Jiang Chao was her biological son. How could he say such a thing!
What she did not know was that because his own reputation had been ruined, Jiang Chao could not lift his head in front of his colleagues. This matter was often used by others to slander him. Today, when Jiang Chao accused Jiang Su Su of dying because of her, he was actually venting his resentment! He blamed Xia Yan!
"No … it wasn't me …" Xia Yan said.
Jiang Chao shook his head, "That's not important, Mother. It's just that I promised younger sister that I would avenge her. Now that Jinying Wang and Jiang Ruan's ranks are higher than mine, only if I advance in my career will I be able to avenge younger sister." He looked at Xia Yan, a strange light flashing in his eyes, "As for Mother, as long as you are alive, I will have a reason to be criticized by others and will never be able to be promoted in a dignified manner."
Xia Yan took a long time to understand the meaning of Jiang Chao's words. She stared at her own son as if she did not know him, "You …. Want me to die? "
"Since Mother dotes on my brother and sister so much, I also want to fulfill younger sister's long-cherished wish. Right now, I really can't think of any other way." Jiang Chao's voice was low, but there was not a trace of guilt in it, "Mother is an intelligent person, surely you wouldn't want that slut Jiang Ruan to climb on top of your son's head."
"Unfilial son …" Xia Yan gasped for air, "Get lost!"
Jiang Chao shook his head, "This time, I came because blood is thicker than water and I wanted to make Mother feel better. Since Mother is so ungrateful, I can only drop it. It's just that … some things, the process is not important, the result is important, isn't that right? "
"You want to kill me?" Xia Yan's eyes widened.
"No, I believe that Mother will understand, isn't that right?" He smiled slowly, revealing his spotlessly white teeth. However, he no longer had his previous bright and cheerful demeanor. Under the lamplight, he was like a crazed wild beast. He said, "The beams in this room are high enough. Mother, using a life in exchange for a clean reputation, does Mother know what's the most cost-effective?"
Without asking, he walked out the door.
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