As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding crowd immediately went into an uproar. The farce of the Minister of State's fu had been widely known in the capital a few years ago. At that time, Xia Yan's background had been very clean, and she was said to be a virtuous and talented person. Later on, it was revealed that she had a lack of morals and conduct, which made people loathe her. At this moment, when he heard the words of these two girls, it was as if a stone had been thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples to appear uncontrollably. Some of the older ones recalled the late Madam of the Minister of State's fu, Zhao Mei.
Speaking of which, those who had some impression of Zhao Mei actually had a very good impression of her. Zhao Mei was born beautiful, with a pure and kind temperament. When she married into the Minister of State's fu, she often gave alms to the poor. She never despised the poor and loved the rich, nor did she put on the airs of a noblewoman. She was amiable and approachable. However, these good reputations were ultimately all attributed to the head of the Minister of State's fu, giving Jiang Quan a lot of bargaining chips in his career. At that time, Jiang Quan's incorruptible reputation among the common people was not without Zhao Mei's contribution.
However, later on, Zhao Mei gradually faded out of people's sight, and then a gentle, virtuous and talented woman, Xia Yan, appeared. In addition, Jiang Quan intentionally promoted her. Thus, people only remembered that the current Madam of the Minister of State's fu was Xia Yan and not the original Zhao Mei. At this moment, when these two girls mentioned her, some people remembered that beautiful and kind young married woman. In the end, there were good people in the human heart, and there were people who spoke up to defend against injustice. "Oh, which bastard wanted to harm the late Madam? That late Madam was a good and amiable person."
The official stepped forward to take the complaint from Lian Qiao's hands and glanced at the crowd. Nowadays, Hong 'an Junzhu was very popular. She also had the great backing of Jinying Wang fu. Thus, upon hearing Jiang Ruan's name, he did not dare to slight her. He only shouted for the crowd not to make any noise, and walked inside with the complaint.
Generally, it would take a day for the case department to start hearing a case. Usually, ordinary cases could be directly tried in the yamen. Unless the noble family had a gargantuan grievance to sue, and was afraid that the person being sued was too powerful, the yamen would intervene and the case would not be fair. Only then would the case be added to the case department. The Case Department could also choose whether or not to investigate this case. After all, there were too many twists and turns in the homes of rich and noble people, and if they were not careful, they would invite trouble upon themselves. However, since an official dared to resolve the complaint on his own, it was obvious that he had already received instructions from his superior. Since he had accepted the case, he was going to try it. The surrounding crowd knew that there would be a good show to watch tomorrow.
Dewdrop still felt that it was not enough and deliberately said in a loud voice, "The concubine of the Minister's fu, Xia Yan, poisoned the mistress and cruelly harmed the di son and daughter. Her methods were vicious. As the head of the household, Minister Jiang was fully aware of the truth, yet he pretended to be deaf and deaf, and conveniently pushed the boat forward. The Mistress died, but she said that she died of illness. I would like to trouble the Case Department to diligently try this case and restore the innocence and fairness of my Young Miss and Madam! "
The crowd that was about to disperse immediately boiled up again. Dewdrop's words could be said to be a shocking scandal. In fact, in rich families, there were many cases of concubines plotting against the legal wife to get the position. However, if Jiang Quan knew everything that had happened but pretended to be deaf and mute, and even tacitly agreed with Xia Yan's methods, this would be the first time. Any official in the capital who had a good reputation and was not a fool would definitely not allow such a thing to happen. This was because, if it was exposed, it would be a huge stain on their reputation. The fight between the women in the inner courtyard was a fight for affection. Men should not get involved, especially when they were throwing stones at someone when they were down. If a man could treat his wife so cruelly, then what humanity was there left to speak of?
Previously, Jiang Quan had only been a laughable person who could not handle the affairs of the inner courtyard. Now, with Dewdrop's words, Jiang Quan would henceforth become the representative of an ugly man in the capital. He was hypocritical and hypocritical, vicious in his heart, and had a kind of determination to abandon even his own flesh and blood. For a parent to be like him, it was really one in a million.
Dewdrop and Lian Qiao looked at each other and smiled. They both felt refreshed, as if they had fiercely vented their resentment. They had been by Jiang Ruan's side for many years and were very clear about Jiang Quan's attitude towards Jiang Ruan. It was better not to have such a father. Zhao Mei had died unjustly, and Jiang Ruan and her sister's position in the Minister's fu had changed from being bullied and humiliated by others to not daring to be belittled. Now that they had gotten their revenge, they were naturally very happy.
In a short period of time, the news of Hong 'an Junzhu suing her biological father had spread throughout the entire capital. Xia Yan and the Xia family were no more. Jiang Chao and Jiang Su Su were also dead. Naturally, the dead could not testify. However, the only Jiang Quan was still alive. This was tantamount to pointing all the spearheads at Jiang Quan.
In the Prince's fu, Jiang Ruan looked at the sun in the sky. The snow had stopped early in the morning, and the sun had even risen a little. The weather was good. She slowly lifted her teacup and took a sip. Then, she said to Jin San and Tian Zhu, who were beside her, "Let's go, it's almost time."
Tian Zhu got up and draped the silver-rat fur cloak over her body. Then, she placed a heater in her hands before following her out the door.
...
Today, the Minister's fu was exceptionally lively. Ever since Jiang Chao's death, no, it should be said that since many years ago, when Jiang Quan's career began to decline, the Minister's fu was no longer as bustling as before. At that time, Jiang Quan was like a fish in water in the court. Every day, there would be people who wanted to pay a visit. There were so many invitations in the room that the table could not fit them all. Jiang Quan discussed the current state of affairs with the high officials and nobles, while Xia Yan exchanged greetings and laughed with the noblewomen. They were all smooth and slick people, causing the entire Jiang fu to be filled with cheerful voices and laughter. At that time, Jiang Su Su was still a fairy who was untainted by the mundane world. In the garden, she could play the Chinese harp to the point of causing people to stop in their tracks and forget to leave. Many princes and nobles were bewitched by the beautiful sound of the harp. They would foolishly stand in the corner outside, listening to the music enter their ears and falling in love with the beauty. Jiang Chao, on the other hand, would always return from the Imperial College, full of success, and talk with the nobles he had just befriended.
At that time, the Old Jiang Madame was still alive and well. Every day, Second Yiniang and Jiang Li dared not voice their anger at Xia Yan, and Jiang Dan timidly hid in her room. In the end, it could still be considered a scene of prosperity. Everyone guessed that the seemingly clean and upright Minister fu would one day become a mainstay of the court. Because they were sufficiently loyal and did not make any mistakes.
All of this prosperity seemed to have happened just yesterday. The liveliness had nothing to do with Jiang Ruan. It was as if the three of them, mother and sons, had always been strangers. Later on, when she came, the Minister's fu seemed to have been possessed by an evil spirit, and gradually declined. The glory of the past was long gone. Everyone said that it was not that the time had not yet come for revenge, but that the heavens were watching from above. The karma that the Minister's fu had sowed in the past had ultimately led to today's evil retribution. These past few years, the Jiang fu had repeatedly met with mishaps. Today, Jiang Ruan's petition had torn the truth apart for everyone to see.
The thoughts of the common people were simple and straightforward. Some people directly blocked the front door of the Minister's fu and threw eggs and vegetables at it. The Jiang fu's imperial bodyguards came out to stop them, but they were also rained down with a torrent of abuse. They no longer dared to resist, and could only dejectedly close the front door under the crowd's anger. It was difficult to offend the anger of the masses.
Just as the crowd was filled with righteous indignation, they saw a carriage slowly drive through the crowd, and the crowd automatically split into two. The carriage was exquisitely made, but it did not have a long lifespan. It had a low sense of beauty, and the coachman was actually a tall and handsome young man. With one look, one could tell that he was from a wealthy family. With just one look, the crowd seemed to be able to tell that the person in the carriage was either rich or of high status. Seeing that it was coming for the Minister's fu, they all fell silent and watched.
The carriage finally stopped. The curtains were lifted, and two tall young women jumped out of the carriage. The two bowed and helped a woman out of the carriage.
The woman was dressed in a crimson velvet embroidered coat and a bright jadeite crepe skirt. Such bright red and green colors were not gaudy, but instead had a kind of startling beauty. She was wearing a cloak woven with silver and silver rat fur, and in her hands was a warm stove. Her skin was as fair as jade, and her appearance was delicate and moving. She had combed her hair into a tranquil bun, which suppressed her beauty. Her pair of charming eyes were astonishing, but her gaze was dull, which caused that soul-stirring beauty to reveal a bit of austere and indifference.
Someone in the crowd recognized her and exclaimed, "Isn't that the eldest di daughter of the Jiang family, Hong 'an Junzhu?!"
Jiang family's di daughter, this was her first title. Even if she was Jinying Wangfei and Hong 'an Junzhu, she was first and foremost the Jiang family's di daughter. And now that she had appeared here, it was naturally thought-provoking. Everyone knew that she had sent her own maid to complain to the Case Department early this morning, so why had she come to the Minister's fu now? Everyone watched with great interest, wanting to see what she would do next.
Jiang Ruan signaled Tian Zhu with her eyes, and Tian Zhu understood. She walked up to the Minister's fu's main door and lightly knocked three times. Her movements were polite and gentle, and it did not seem like she had come to find trouble. Instead, she seemed like a guest, extremely courteous. She then respectfully said, "May I trouble you to inform that my family's Wangfei has returned to the fu to return to peace today."
Ever since Jiang Ruan married into Jinying Wangfu, she had not even had the time to return to peace before she had been poisoned. Even so, the Minister's fu was not thousands of li away from Jinying Wangfu. If she had the intention, it would have been fine to send someone over to inquire. Who knew that Jiang Quan would actually be able to do it without saying a word? It was as if this daughter of his did not exist. At this moment, when Tian Zhu mentioned returning to peace, the surrounding people all sucked in a breath of cold air. They had long known that the relationship between the Jiang family's di daughter and Jiang Quan was not very close, but to be so cold and to only return to peace after being newly married for so long was really laughable.
The people inside did not respond for a long time, so Tian Zhu carefully retreated behind Jiang Ruan. The three of them then quietly stood at the entrance of the Jiang fu. The surrounding crowd discussed in low voices, but they were also shocked by Jiang Ruan's coldness at this moment. This was because at this moment, her eyes were deep, as if she was not looking at the Jiang fu, but rather looking at the long years that had passed through the Jiang fu's main gate.
Jiang Ruan's thoughts returned to her previous life. It was also on this snowy day that she had returned to the Jiang fu from the rural residence for the first time. This was originally her own home, but it seemed as if she was living under someone else's roof. Standing at the entrance of the Minister's fu, she was both nervous and happy. She was dressed in tattered clothes, and the surrounding people were pointing at her, one after another guessing her identity. She felt so ashamed that she could not show her face. It was at this entrance that Xia Yan and Jiang Su Su, dressed up beautifully, came to welcome her. The more gentle and elegant they were, the more unbearably vulgar she was. Under this signboard of the Jiang fu, the tightly shut main gate opened, and all kinds of hurt and humiliation poured out from inside. From the main gate of the Jiang fu to the main gate of the palace, she cut an even more sorry figure each time. That scene from her previous life was like a joke, constantly reminding her of that unbearable past.
And now? Jiang Ruan raised her head, and her gaze fell on the huge signboard of the Minister's fu. It was a signboard bestowed by the late Emperor, Jiang Quan's pride, but at some point, it had already become covered in dust. In her previous life, what Xia Yan loved to do the most was to order the servants to wipe this signboard clean, as if it represented the glory of the Jiang family. Now, the Jiang family was on the verge of collapse. In this life, when she returned to the Jiang family, she had made a vow outside the main gate that she would slaughter all the people who had harmed her family in her previous life. She had planted a seed of vengeance here, and now, the seed had already broken through the soil and grown into a towering tree. With just a little more effort, she would be able to uproot this huge grave that had buried her and her family.
After an unknown amount of time, the door creaked open. Behind the door, a man dressed in official robes slowly walked out. His face was gloomy, and he stared fiercely at Jiang Ruan.
Perhaps Jiang Quan had just left court and had not had time to change his clothes, or perhaps he wanted to use this set of clothes to suppress Jiang Ruan's momentum. It was just that his appearance was very haggard. Jiang Ruan smiled slightly and politely greeted, "Father, long time no see."
After a long time, Jiang Quan seemed to be a completely different person from the refined and decisive middle-aged man in Jiang Ruan's memory. He had lost a lot of weight, and his skin was very tanned. Both sides of his cheekbones were deeply sunken, and he was unusually thin. His entire person already showed signs of old age. Jiang Quan had always been a person who paid attention to his appearance. At that time, even when he was over forty years old, he still looked like he was in his thirties, young and refined. Now, however, he had the appearance of a man who was not very good-looking, and perhaps even had some signs of declining.
Only the indifference and harshness in his gaze was exactly the same as in her previous life. Jiang Quan sneered, "Gui Ning, do you still have any regard for my Jiang family?"
Jiang Ruan nodded, "Of course, I have placed Father in my heart, and I have never dared to forget him." How could she dare to forget the blood feud and humiliation? The corners of her lips rose slightly, "It's just that Father doesn't seem to like this daughter of yours."
The meaning behind these words was to accuse Jiang Quan of being a father who was not benevolent. Jiang Quan was flustered and said angrily, "Have I ever reduced your food and clothing expenses? Don't forget that I am still your father! Without me, how could you have grown so big? Now that your wings have hardened and you have someone to support you, you actually dare to make up stories about your father! Where did you learn these wild rules from in the mountains! " Jiang Quan had always maintained his status as a scholar, so he had always spoken very politely. Outsiders had never seen him curse people in such a vulgar manner. At this moment, he was probably very anxious, so he did not choose his words carefully, which allowed the surrounding crowd to see his true appearance.
"Without Father, there would naturally be no me." Jiang Ruan said indifferently, "Thanks to Father's good fortune, when Mother was still alive, Eldest Brother and I were only able to see Father a few dozen times a year. However, Xia Yiniang's Second Younger Sister and Second Older Brother were always with Father. Second Brother could enter Father's study, but Eldest Brother even had to be personally invited by Mother. Second Sister had the best nannies in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, while I was personally taught by Mother — but Mother came from a military family and was completely ignorant of these things. Father, don't tell me that you want to say that it is because you sympathize with Mother's motherly love for me and Eldest Brother to always stay by her side? "
These words were full of sarcasm. Jiang Quan's face slowly turned red, and he immediately opened his mouth to refute, "This …"
"However, staying together with Mother is really very pleasant, so these are all nothing. The zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting are not my interests, and Eldest Brother has yet to learn the ways of a civil official. All of this is thanks to Father's foresight. " A trace of ridicule flashed through Jiang Ruan's eyes as she continued, "It's just that Eldest Brother was in a critical condition and wanted to call for a doctor at night. However, Xia Yiniang said that Father was already asleep and that they would see him tomorrow. As a result, Mother could only warm Eldest Brother with her own body for the entire night. If not for Eldest Brother's good fortune, he would not be able to be safe and sound today. Father, how do you explain this? "Without waiting for Jiang Quan to speak, Jiang Ruan smiled and said," Father is busy with official business, so I don't have to worry. So when Mother was seriously ill, Father did not come. When Mother was on her deathbed, Father also did not come. Only on the day that Xia Yiniang was placed on the throne did Father come. Father pulled Second Brother and Second Sister and smiled very happily. Eldest Brother left home in anger, but I was sent to the rural residence. "
She laughed lightly, "Father, do you remember why you were sent to the rural residence? Because there was a Taoist priest who said that I was the bane of heaven, and that I would bring misfortune upon my parents. However, five years later, when I returned to the capital, that Taoist priest repeated the same trick and was seen through as a swindler. Father, do you still remember who the employer behind that Taoist priest was? It was Father's favorite concubine, and later, Di Mother, Xia Yiniang. "
She spoke in a drawn-out manner with a sigh, but the people who heard her felt their hearts skip a beat. To not even let a little girl off, this Xia Yan's mind was a little too vicious.
"Father, do you want to say that you don't know anything about this matter? Then I'm afraid that there are too many things that Father doesn't know. For example, on the day that my Eldest Brother returned to the capital, he was ambushed in the forest. Unexpectedly, they wanted to put him to death. If General Guan had not rushed to the rescue at that time, I'm afraid that the odds would have been against him. Father, do you know who the person behind this is? Naturally, Father does not know, because that person is also Father's favorite concubine, Xia Yiniang. " Jiang Ruan smiled faintly, "Father, you want to be an upright and honest high-ranking official, but you can't even recognize the person by your bedside. As a daughter, seeing this, my heart really aches."
Some of the people around them sneered, while others pointed out, "So it turns out that the Minister's fu is such a tiger's den and dragon's pool. No wonder General Jiang wants to enter the military. Otherwise, how could he protect himself and Younger Sister? I'm afraid that he would have long since eaten so many bones!"
Xia Yan's mind was vicious to the point that it made people's hair stand on end. Unexpectedly, she did not even want to let Jiang Xin Zhi and Jiang Ruan off. It was unknown how much old enmity she had with Zhao Mei. If Jiang Quan were to say that he was completely unaware of such a vicious woman, then he would really be underestimating this official of the third rank. Even if he said it, no one would believe it. It was nothing more than turning a blind eye to it. If one were to say that Jiang Quan had taken advantage of Zhao Mei's death to push the boat along with the current, then he would have a reputation as a cruel and unscrupulous person. However, even her own di son and daughter acted as if they did not know anything. This was really puzzling. It was said that even a vicious tiger would not eat its cubs. Could it be that Jiang Quan's heart was made of iron?
"You …. What nonsense are you spouting? " Jiang Quan flew into a rage out of humiliation. He was also afraid that Jiang Ruan would reveal even more secrets, "You speak nonsense without any evidence. Who taught you to say such things, to humiliate my Minister's fu? What is his purpose? "
Jiang Quan was an old fox after all. He very quickly thought of the questions that aroused everyone's doubts. As the child of the Minister's fu, Jiang Ruan naturally would not accuse her father for no reason. However, what if there was someone guiding her from behind? Jiang Ruan was now married to Jinying Wang, so the person behind her naturally referred to Xiao Shao.
A trace of anger flashed quickly in Tian Zhu and Jin San's eyes. Even at this time, Jiang Quan still wanted to make a false accusation. This was really an unforgivable sin. Jiang Ruan smiled faintly, "Father, this is not important. At that time, Xia Yiniang ordered someone to drug my mother. Naturally, I also have evidence. My mother told me since I was a child not to recklessly accuse others. "
Suddenly, there was another burst of laughter. Jiang Quan thought that Jiang Ruan was only scaring him. So many years had passed, and at that time, Jiang Ruan was only a child. She did not know anything. Now that Xia Yan was also dead, where would there be any evidence? Jiang Quan was not worried, but after Jiang Ruan's disturbance, he felt that he had lost all face today. Immediately, he was unable to restrain his anger as he said, "You really want to do this? Evil girl, you actually dare to accuse your biological father. Where do you place the word filial piety? Where do you place me, your father? "
In this world, no matter what, when the word 'filial piety' was pressed down, a few layers of skin would be crushed off. No matter how cruel and unscrupulous Jiang Quan was, he was still Jiang Ruan's father by blood. In this world, there was no such thing as a daughter accusing her father. Even if parents wanted you to die, you had to accept it. Because this was the moral principle, a rule that everyone in the world had to abide by. Seeing that Jiang Ruan did not speak, a trace of pride flashed in Jiang Quan's eyes. He felt his back straighten up a little, and he also felt that he had more confidence. He said, "Don't forget, the blood on your body is mine! Without me, where would you come from?! "
The surrounding crowd was silent. Indeed, even if what Jiang Ruan said was true, when they were scolding Jiang Quan for being heartless, their view of Jiang Ruan was very complicated. Accusing one's biological father was a matter that shocked the world, and even caused them to have a different view of Jinying Wang fu. For Jiang Ruan, as a child, to do such a thing, it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was out of line. Even if this lawsuit was ultimately won, Jiang Ruan, who was left behind, would still have to face the strange gazes of the crowd.
Jiang Ruan was not the slightest bit affected by the crowd's gazes. In the cold wind, she stood slender and elegant, a valiant posture that could not be blown away by any gale. It was as if she was declaring to the crowd that she would never compromise. Her cold and unyielding words slowly entered the ears of the crowd, "Indeed, father, you gave me life. Without you, there would be no me. You gave me half of the blood bone, but heaven knows, "she sneered," how much I loathe it. "
Before she finished speaking, an exquisite dagger appeared in her hand. The crowd was startled, not knowing what she was going to do. They saw the dagger lightly cut the back of her hand, and large drops of blood flowed out, blooming bright-colored flowers of blood on the snowy ground.
Her smile was charming yet cruel, and her words were cold and resolute. Facing Jiang Quan's dumbstruck gaze, she lightly parted her red lips, "Now, I will return it to you."
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