Jiang Ruan's head hurt, and her whole body seemed to be as light as a feather, without a trace of strength. She struggled to open her eyes, but did not see the bright sky. A damp and sweet smell filled the tip of her nose, strange yet familiar. She forced herself to recall, and was surprised to find that it was the smell of blood.
She moved her body, and slowly climbed up from the ground.
This was a dark and damp place, and there were some black worms crawling on the ground. The worms were rotten and disgusting. Something seemed to flash through her mind, so fast that she could not catch it. She touched something hard next to her, and there seemed to be some kind of viscous liquid. She struggled to lift her head. Suddenly, she heard a squeak, and there seemed to be someone talking outside. A ray of strong sunlight shone in, and she could hardly open her eyes.
A woman's voice sounded, "Quick, the Empress wants to see it with her own eyes. Move faster, or else the Empress will have to wait for you little hoodlums."
Then, a few palace maids walked in. Their expressions were of fear or disgust, and they strangely lit the oil lamps in their hands and walked in until they reached Jiang Ruan's side. However, they seemed to turn a blind eye to Jiang Ruan, and did not even look at her. Instead, they bent down to pick up something from the ground. Jiang Ruan slowly frowned, and looked at them vigilantly. Those people did not seem to notice her at all, as if she did not exist. Jiang Ruan tentatively stood up, and no one stopped her. She thought for a moment, then lowered her head and followed the palace maids out.
As soon as she left the room, there was a glaring sunlight outside. It seemed that she had not seen this kind of sunlight for a long time. Turning around, her eyes met with the thing in the palace maid's hands. She was shocked, and unconsciously took two steps back, almost falling down.
The palace maid was holding a wooden basin, and in the basin lay a monster-like thing. The limbs could not be seen, and only the basin full of blood could be seen. It was probably not the appearance of a person. If it was placed in front of others, they would not be able to tell what it was. But in Jiang Ruan's eyes, it made her heart tremble. That thing was none other than her in her previous life! She was made into a human swine and beaten to death in the wooden basin!
The 'Jiang Ruan' in the wooden basin was already dead. It was just an ice-cold corpse, completely devoid of dignity. Jiang Ruan stood on one side, gritting her teeth as she watched the palace maids carry the corpse away. The palace maid in the lead walked in front, and that person was impressively Butterfly.
Hadn't Butterfly long ago been banished from the Jiang fu by Jiang Su Su and sold off to a brothel? How did she become the current Palace Maid? As Jiang Ruan looked on, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind. In her previous life, she had been killed by a random stick, and thus she had been reborn in the rural residence. No one knew what happened after that. Now, the corpse was still there, and the old friend still looked the same. Could it be that God had opened his eyes and allowed her to see the final ending of her previous life?
Butterfly led the palace maids to a garden with a wooden basin in their hands. Jiang Ruan could clearly see that the garden was the garden behind Kun Ning Palace. Kunning Palace. Jiang Ruan's heart trembled. Could it be …? Sure enough, just as she reached the entrance of the garden, she heard a familiar voice saying, "Bengong doesn't care about anything, as long as they are unable to reincarnate, forever and ever. How about it?"
"This humble Taoist will follow Your Ladyship's instructions and will do his best."
Jiang Ruan sneered. Now that no one could see her, she walked inside. Sure enough, the woman sitting on the high seat was dressed in the Empress' court attire. She was rich and grand, her face smiling like a flower, and her appearance was as clear and elegant as a fairy. She also had a bit of reserved nobility. The nine-tailed phoenix hairpin on her head shone in the sunlight as it spread its wings, as if it wanted to fly away. Every move she made showed the nobility of a motherly model of the world. It was Jiang Su Su.
At this moment, Jiang Su Su was reclining on a soft chair. In the huge garden, she was the only one sitting there. The palace maids and eunuchs were standing in a row, their faces slightly frightened. And standing in front of Jiang Su Su was a man dressed in a Taoist robe. If it wasn't Xu Kong dao zhang, who else could it be?
It turned out that in her previous life, Xu Kong dao zhang had always been in contact with Jiang Su Su. Not only did he help her in the matter of cursing her husband and her mother in the rural residence, it seemed that Jiang Su Su had promised him a lot of benefits. Otherwise, how could a wandering Taoist in the wilderness enter the palace? It was just that she did not know what he was here for.
"Your Ladyship, this servant has brought the item." Butterfly stepped forward and said cautiously.
Jiang Ruan stood at the side and looked on coldly. Jiang Su Su heard this and laughed softly. Her laughter was extremely beautiful, as if it came from the bottom of her heart. She seemed very carefree, and her pleasant laughter could be heard throughout the entire garden. She was born beautiful, and her laughter was also extremely moving. But at this moment, the expressions of everyone in the courtyard did not feel infatuated, but instead revealed a trace of fear. This was because the monster in the wooden basin looked too frightening. If an ordinary person looked at it for too long, they would feel fear in their heart. But Jiang Su Su stared at the thing in the wooden basin with great satisfaction, as if it could not be more interesting.
Everyone was quiet and did not say a word. After a long while, Jiang Su Su seemed to have laughed enough. She finally straightened her waist and lightly pointed to one side. "In any case, BenGong and she are sisters in name. Seeing that we used to live under the same roof, BenGong does not want to be so ruthless. Ben gong has always been a soft-hearted person. Let this mother and son be reunited. "
Her words were said lightly, as if they were weightless. Jiang Ruan was startled. Immediately, she felt as if her blood had almost stopped flowing, and a chill poured down from the top of her head. Directly drenched her whole heart, and half of it went cold. She blankly looked in the direction that Jiang Su Su had pointed and saw a small body lying on the ground. That body was so familiar that with just one look, tears welled up in her eyes.
Jiang Ruan's throat overflowed with difficulty. That sound did not seem like a sound that a human could make. It was filled with despair and hatred that came from the bones. She had originally thought that when she saw Pei 'er being played with in the wooden basin and her body being beaten, she had already felt the greatest despair. Now that she saw Pei 'er's corpse with her own eyes, she realized how much her heart ached. The scenes that had long been sealed in her memory came alive again. It turned out that she had not forgotten all that pain. Jiang Ruan threw herself at Pei 'er's side and wailed loudly. However, her voice could not reach these people's ears. The ending of this life would not change. She was already dead, and Pei 'er was also dead.
The small body lying on the ground was covered in a mess of scars, and each one was too horrible to look at. Looking at it made one's heart tremble. Even to a child, they could still be so ruthless. Jiang Ruan felt as if a knife was twisting in her heart. Before Pei 'er died, he must have suffered a great deal of fear.
"Your Ladyship is benevolent." It was that sanctimonious fake Taoist priest, Xu Kong dao zhang, who flattered. He quickly walked to Jiang Ruan's side and lifted Pei 'er from the ground. His strength was obviously great, and Pei' er's small body seemed extremely weak in his hands. Jiang Ruan threw herself at him, but her hand only passed by Pei 'er's side — she was completely unable to touch him.
Xu Kong dao zhang grabbed both Pei 'er and Jiang Ruan's bodies and placed them into an agarwood chest. Then, he closed the chest door. Immediately after, a few strong bodyguards walked over and used long nails to nail the chest door shut. The chest door was densely pasted with yellow talismans, and on them were incantations written in blood-red cinnabar, making it difficult for people to read them clearly. Xu Kong dao zhang sat cross-legged in front of the chest, closed his eyes, and clasped his hands together. He mumbled to himself for a quarter of an hour before he suddenly opened his eyes. He reached for a bowl of chicken blood that had been placed on the table, lowered his head, and took a mouthful. With a 'pu' sound, he sprayed it all over the coffin-like chest. Immediately after, he let out a long sigh and ordered people to throw the chest into a dry well in the southwest corner of the garden.
After doing all this, Xu Kong dao zhang walked in front of Jiang Su Su and said as if he was asking for credit, "Replying to Your Ladyship, this humble Taoist has already completed the ritual. That demoness and the malefic star have been sealed in the Nine Stars Formation and will forever be suppressed in this dry well, unable to reincarnate or free themselves. They will never be able to come out and cause trouble again. "
"Very good." Jiang Su Su smiled with satisfaction, "Since bengong is the Empress of the Great Jin dynasty, bengong must bear the responsibility of the Great Jin dynasty. Even if we are siblings, we absolutely cannot ruin the entire Great Jin dynasty's rivers and mountains for the sake of personal feelings. Since they are demoness and malefic star, they naturally cannot be allowed to come out and cause trouble. Taoist priest has worked hard in performing the ritual. Later, bengong will report this matter to His Majesty and remember your merit. "
Xu Kong dao zhang was naturally overjoyed and said, "Many thanks for Your Ladyship's favor."
While the people on this side were talking cheerfully, Jiang Ruan's whole body was alternating between cold and hot. Jiang Su Su actually hated her to such an extent that she would not let her off even in death. Instead, she had allowed Xu Kong dao zhang to perform the ritual. Unexpectedly, she wanted her soul to be trapped here for life and death, to suffer eternal torment! If it were not for the fact that Xu Kong dao zhang was only a fake Taoist priest with an undeserved reputation, wouldn't everything be as she wished? It was said that a woman's heart was the most vicious, but Jiang Su Su's attitude was really too much!
Jiang Ruan looked at the pitch-black dry well. It turned out that in her previous life, her and Pei 'er's final destination was this dry well that was so deep that the bottom could not be seen. Together with those rotten leaves, they were buried deep inside. She somewhat wanted to cry, but also somewhat wanted to laugh. It turned out that in her previous life, she had died in such a sorry state. Unexpectedly, when she finally landed on the ground, she also had no dignity at all.
Then, she felt her vision blur. Unexpectedly, before she could move, the scene in front of her changed by itself. The door was very familiar. If it was not the Minister's fu, where else could it be?
Jiang Quan was sitting in the study. Jiang Su Su was dressed in luxurious clothes and her expression revealed a faint arrogance. However, Jiang Quan did not look very happy and said, "You actually acted so recklessly! I have already told you not to act blindly without thinking. Since she is in front to clear the way for you, why do you need to make such an unnecessary move? If others were to gossip, wouldn't all of my painstaking efforts be in vain? "
Xia Yan's eyes were beautiful, her movements dignified and gentle. She smiled and comforted him, "Master, don't be angry. Open your heart and see what Su Su has to say. This child is not without propriety. From young until now, don't you know what kind of person she is?"
Jiang Su Su quickly concealed the trace of impatience in her eyes. In a respectful and naive tone, she said, "Father, I know I was wrong. In the future, I will not make such a mistake again. I originally only wanted to scare her, but I did not expect that my subordinates would act on their own initiative and cause me to end up like this. Father, don't be angry with me. It is not worth harming your own health because of anger. I will not dare to do it again in the future. "
Her appearance was extremely submissive, and the anger on Jiang Quan's face gradually dissipated. He only sighed deeply and said, "In this matter, I originally only wanted to use her to pave the way for you. The Jiang family can place righteousness before family, and you can also gain a good reputation outside. Your position as Empress will also be more stable, and you will be able to win the hearts of the people. Now, she has been secretly taken out by you. Fortunately, no one outside has found out, and they will only say that she committed suicide to escape punishment. Su Su, if you want to do things, you must be more straightforward. Don't leave any evidence for others to use against you. "His tone was completely that of a loving father, and every word and sentence was filled with concern for Jiang Su Su.
Jiang Su Su smiled slightly, "Father, please be at ease. Su Su knows how to prepare everything."
"Nothing could be better over there." Jiang Quan heaved a long sigh of relief, as if a stone had been lifted from his heart. Jiang Ruan stood quietly to the side and watched. There was no longer any hatred in her eyes, only a bone-chilling coldness. That kind of coldness was something that even the coldest ice in the cold winter could not compare to. Her gaze was empty, and her crimson clothes were like a ball of fire that had burst forth from her soul, wanting to incinerate and starve everyone who approached her until not even their bones remained.
So this was the truth of her past life. After her father, Jiang Quan, had learned of her death and that she had been privately executed by Jiang Su Su, not only did he not cry out for injustice, nor did he complain about the grievances he had suffered throughout his life. On the contrary, he had been thinking of Jiang Su Su from the inside out. He was afraid that Jiang Su Su would leave any evidence that could be used against her, which would endanger her position as Empress. As for this daughter of his, he had only lightly said, "Do it more straightforwardly."
Jiang Quan had treated her as a stepping stone to pave the way for Jiang Su Su's position as Empress, and he had done it as if it was only right and proper. However, he had forgotten that she was also the Jiang family's di daughter. One could be discarded like a pair of worn-out shoes, while the other could be cherished like a pearl. At least at this moment, Jiang Ruan did not have the slightest bit of affection for Jiang Quan. If she could, she was willing to use all the ugly and painful methods to torture him, and to view him as a true enemy.
Jiang Su Su seemed to have suddenly thought of something and said, "Jiang Dan is becoming more and more insensible. That husband of hers is merely working for His Majesty outside, but now he is also relying on his reputation as a first-grade Honorary Title. From what I see, he doesn't even put me in his eyes."
Jiang Ruan was stunned. Jiang Dan's husband was actually working for Xuan Li? Jiang Dan had been promoted to a first-grade Honorary Title?
Jiang Quan shook his head, "No matter how great she is, can she surpass you? Su Su, you must remember, whether it is in the Minister's fu or the Imperial Palace, or even in this Great Jin dynasty, she cannot be compared to you. My Minister's fu's daughter has always been only pleasing to you. That husband of hers is now heavily relied upon by His Majesty, and is also a great help to you in the Imperial Palace. Don't throw a tantrum like a child, you must remember to get along well with her. "
"I know." Jiang Su Su pouted in dissatisfaction. Jiang Ruan, who was standing to one side, suddenly understood. The things that she had not understood in her previous and current lives became clear at this moment. With Jiang Dan's temperament, how could she be willing to be a pawn of the Jiang fu and pave the way for Jiang Su Su? It turned out that her merchant husband had long been working for Xuan Li. As expected, Jiang Dan also had her own methods. After her death, she had actually obtained a Honorary Title through that husband. In the end, she was the only one who had been sacrificed in her previous life.
She looked at this ironic scene in front of her, and only felt a salty and fishy taste overflow in her mouth. Immediately after, the scene in front of her changed again. This time, it was a magnificent palace, a place that she was unfamiliar with. And the person sitting at the edge of the bed, a man dressed in bright yellow, could not be more familiar.
That was her lover in her previous life, and her mortal enemy in this life, Xuan Li.
His original gentle and smooth appearance had been covered up by the calm and reserved characteristic of an Emperor. The Xuan Li wearing the imperial robe was like a completely different person from the one in Jiang Ruan's memory. He always had a slight smile on his face, and his smile was like a spring breeze. Even if it was only a mask, it was still pleasing to the eye. But now, Xuan Li's brows were tightly furrowed, and he looked a lot more haggard. There was no longer any trace of his former triumphant appearance.
"Chen gonggong," Xuan Li said to the little eunuch in front of him, "We cannot sleep today."
"Does Your Majesty want to go to Her Majesty's place? Perhaps she can calm Your Majesty's mood with her gentle and soothing words, "Chen gonggong said.
"No need." Xuan Li waved his hand, "It's the same wherever we go. We still have nightmares every day, and those nightmares disturb us so much that we cannot sleep peacefully. Every time we wake up from the dream, we always feel that … We always feel that someone is watching us. "
Jiang Ruan stood by the dragon bed and looked at Xuan Li, who was in a slightly sorry state. She sneered silently. So there were times when he could not sleep peacefully? He had patiently planned and sent her into the palace as an excellent chess piece. Now that the great task had been accomplished, this high and lofty Emperor's position had been enjoyed by him alone. So it turned out that he could not sleep at night? In the end, what was the reason for this? Was it because one would always receive retribution for doing something wrong? In his nightmares, did she turn into a malicious spirit and come to claim his life?
"Your Majesty is too tired for the affairs of the state," Chen gonggong said.
"Only after sitting on this position will one feel tired, just like how we feel that all the women in the imperial harem are boring! They can't even compare to Jiang Ruan at that time … " He seemed to have thought of something, and a trace of regret appeared on his face, "It's just a pity. If she didn't have such an identity, we would have liked her a little at that time."
"You love me?" Jiang Ruan could not help but laugh when she heard these words, but the smile did not reach her eyes. She knew that Xuan Li could not possibly hear it, but she still said coldly, "You only love a fool who worships you as a deity, who is always obedient to you, and who asks nothing of you. At that time, I was too stupid to be biased towards you. Now that you are saying these words, are you lying to me or to you? Xuan Li, you only love all the victims in this world who have sacrificed themselves for your throne. You have sacrificed them, yet you still pretend to comfort them, how hypocritical. "
The silhouette in the bright yellow dragon chamber gradually faded away, and in front of her became a blur. Jiang Ruan walked in the white fog, as if she had walked into a huge labyrinth. She could only hear the sounds of thousands of soldiers and horses fighting, and the loud sound of the city gates being smashed open. The sound of swords clashing could be heard everywhere, and someone shouted, "Not good, not good, the Embroidered Uniform Guards have entered the pass — —"
Embroidered Uniform Guards? This name was so familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before. Jiang Ruan walked forward in a daze. She saw that the throne room was in chaos, and blood flowed like a river. From time to time, black-armoured guards with swords and sabers walked through the hall. Outside, the imperial guards were either dead or injured, and in the hall, a man and a woman in bright yellow had both fallen at the bottom of the nine steps. They were in the same sorry state as she had been in the past, but at that time, she was still alive. And they were already dead.
The black-clothed youth stood quietly in front of the dragon throne. His appearance was beautiful beyond compare, but his eyes were as cold as ice. Although there was an air of elegance and nobility that was engraved into his bones, it was forcibly restrained by that coldness. At the side, an imperial guard said, "Unjustifiable dog thief, you actually dare to spout nonsense. You don't even know who is the real traitor! General Guan has also sent that old dog thief Jiang Quan to the Western Paradise, Master …? "
The youth turned around and said indifferently, "Let's go."
Xuan Li and Jiang Su Su, one of them plotted to obtain the most supreme power under the heavens. One of them, from the beginning, wanted to sit on the position of the mother of the world, but after her great undertaking was accomplished, her life was taken away by someone else. Even Jiang Quan himself had ended up with his head separated from his body. This youth was clearly the future emperor who had appeared midway. Jiang Ruan's heart only felt pleased. When she looked at the youth again, she felt her heart beating extremely fast. She felt as if she had seen this youth somewhere before, but she really could not remember. She wanted to figure out what exactly was going on, so she followed behind the youth and kept walking forward.
When they reached the Imperial Garden, they saw a middle-aged man with grizzled hair coming forward and saying, "Young Master, Grand Tutor Liu discovered that there was something in the dry well. He fished out a chest from the well, and there were two corpses inside. After asking around, it was the eldest di daughter of the Jiang family's first wife. She was the one who was slandered by her own father as a demoness who brought disaster to the country — "He shook his head and said," Ai, how can there be such a cruel father in this world? "
The youth and Jiang Ruan's gazes simultaneously looked towards the ground. The two corpses, one big and one small, had already decomposed beyond recognition. However, it was vaguely visible that the daren's limbs were already mutilated. It was clear that he had suffered a great injustice before dying.
Jiang Ruan looked indifferently at her own corpse. A young man dressed in purple walked over. He was handsome, but he kept a small mustache around his lips, appearing very comical. Looking at the corpse, he sighed and said, "From the same root, why torment each other so urgently? This woman was originally a beauty in the palace, but this child was raised by His Thirteenth Highness. For both mother and child to end up like this, it really makes one sigh." As he said this, he bent down and took off his own clothes to cover the corpse. Looking at the youth in black, he said, "Third brother, how do you think we should deal with the corpse?"
"Since she is an imperial concubine, she should rightfully enter the Imperial Tomb. Find an opportunity to properly bury her. "The youth lowered his eyes and said indifferently," At the same time, announce to the world the truth about the demoness who brought disaster to the country. "
As if struck by lightning, Jiang Ruan stared fixedly at the cold and handsome youth. She had originally thought that she would never be able to redress her grievances in this life, but at the last moment, there was light at the end of the tunnel. This youth's words were the last trace of warmth that she had received in this cruel life, and the only longing that she had felt when she was at the end of her road.
She suddenly widened her eyes and called out, "Xiao Shao!"
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