After an unknown amount of time, the Emperor's slightly tired voice could be heard, "No matter what, Ah Shao, you should consider what I said today." Finished speaking, he looked as if he was about to leave the room. Jiang Ruan hurriedly hid with Butler Lin in a room at the side. After watching the Emperor leave, Butler Lin looked at Jiang Ruan, hesitated, and said, "What does Young Furen want to know? There is no harm in asking the Young Master now. The Young Master will not hide anything from you."
Jiang Ruan nodded, thought for a moment, and then slowly entered the study. In the study, Xiao Shao sat in front of the table, thinking about something. When he saw her, he was not surprised, and only said, "You heard everything?"
Jiang Ruan nodded. Xiao Shao was a person with martial arts, and his martial arts were not weak. Just now, when she and Butler Lin stayed outside, the Emperor could not hear their breathing, but Xiao Shao might have heard it. She was afraid that he had deliberately let her hear it. She sat down beside Xiao Shao. Xiao Shao's collar was inlaid with a black qilin pattern, showing a deep golden luster. It was suffused with a cold light, and it made his expression look very grave.
"Ah Ruan, I have something to tell you." Xiao Shao said.
"Just in time," Jiang Ruan smiled slightly, "I also have something to tell you."
Xiao Shao was slightly stunned, and looked at Jiang Ruan with some doubt. Jiang Ruan looked at the thick booklet on the table. The booklet was neat and tidy, as if to show how often this master read them on a daily basis. Xiao Shao was attentive and cautious. There were many things that he did not say, but it did not mean that he did not know. The husband and wife each had their own secrets, and Jiang Ruan had always wanted to confess. Now that Xiao Shao had brought it up first, she felt that it would be better for her to say it first.
"Do you remember, when we returned from Jia Nan Mountain, I said something to you?" Jiang Ruan smiled, "I said that I had something to tell you."
Xiao Shao said, "I remember."
"What I want to tell you now is this matter." Jiang Ruan sighed, and a trace of disappointment appeared in her eyes, "In fact, I do not know how you will look at me after hearing it. Perhaps you will stay at a respectful distance, or perhaps nothing will happen. But no matter what, I will continue to speak. I think that we should be frank. " Her tone was magnanimous. Even if there was a trace of uncertainty and hesitation, she continued after a short pause.
"You have probably ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guards to investigate me. The General's Mansion's disaster relief rations, the ambush my big brother suffered in the forest, and Great Master Hui Jue. You must have many questions. Sometimes, you even think that I can predict the future. You must also not be aware that because of the harm Xia Yan had done to my mother, I had acted against the Xia family. Even now, I am still obstructing Xuan Li. Including everyone in Li Dong's residence. "
Xiao Shao stared at her solemnly. It was true, the things she had said were all things that he had been suspicious of in the past. No matter how powerful the Embroidered Uniform Guards were, they still could not find any clues, and the only possibility seemed too absurd.
"You must be very surprised that I seem to have a close relationship with the Thirteenth Prince, and that Grand Tutor Liu seems to want to help me. I am always aware of what is happening in the court. Xiao Shao, this isn't a coincidence. " Jiang Ruan looked at him and suddenly laughed, "Because I already knew what would happen. I have personally experienced these things. I have died once, Xiao Shao."
"Ah Ruan." Xiao Shao suddenly spoke. He frowned, "You don't have to tell me."
Even if it was just a few words spoken casually, it was enough to shock people. Every word spoken was not something that a normal person could accept. However, Jiang Ruan herself did not realize that even though she tried her best to conceal it, when she said these words, her eyes still revealed a peculiar madness.
"You don't believe me?" Jiang Ruan asked.
"No, I believe you." Xiao Shao said, "I just feel that if what you want to say makes you feel pain, you don't have to say it. I don't necessarily need to know. I don't care what happened in the past, as long as you are by my side now. You will always be my wangfei. "
His tone was flat, and his expression was cold and without a ripple. However, his eyes quickly flashed a trace of indulgence that was difficult to detect. The comfort in these words warmed her heart. Jiang Ruan looked at him and suddenly smiled, "But I am willing to tell you that there are some things that have been bottled up in my heart for a long time. If you can share some of them with me, I will also feel much more relaxed. At least, it will make me feel that I am not alone in this life. "
Xiao Shao was slightly startled and did not speak for a moment. Jiang Ruan paused and slowly said, "The me that you see now should not have been like this. When I was five years old, my mother passed away and Xia Yan became the di mother. On the surface, she treated me very amiably and Jiang Su Su was also very amiable, but the servants always bullied and humiliated me. At that time, I did not understand and only felt that there were many wicked servants in the fu. It was only later that I understood that if there were no instructions from the master, how would a servant dare to bully the di daughter of the fu? But no matter what, in the end, I was still sent to the rural residence. My eldest brother secretly received a hint from Xia Yan and thought that as long as he left, they would not treat me unfairly. Thus, he left home at a young age, and we, brother and sister, were separated. "
"Later, I lived in the rural residence. Life there was very bad. Everyone forgot that I was actually the di daughter of the Minister of the Secretariat. Many times, my life was worse than that of a servant. Zhang Lan and her daughter plundered all my belongings and ordered me around like a slave. Their family's wastrel son even wanted to fight with me. " Jiang Ruan noticed that Xiao Shao's brows were knitting more and more tightly. She smiled and said, "Presumably, the Embroidered Uniform Guard also told you about these things. You know. "
"That year, I did not meet Imperial Censor Wang, and because of this, I did not receive any redress. I stayed in the rural residence for eight years. Midway through, I learned that my eldest brother had died on the battlefield. I thought that life was hopeless. The Minister of the Secretariat in the capital seemed to have thrown me to the back of their minds. I wrote many letters home, but I never received a reply. I thought that I would spend the rest of my life in the rural residence until I died. Who knew that in the eighth year, someone from the capital would come to take me back to the Minister of the Secretariat. I was very happy, thinking that my father finally remembered me. "
She spoke without rhyme or reason. If it had been an ordinary person, they would certainly not have understood what she was saying. However, Xiao Shao only quietly stared at her. His gaze seemed to be intertwined with complex emotions. His hand, which was wearing a wrist guard, was tightly clenched into a fist. He did his best to suppress the shock in his heart and looked at her as calmly as possible.
"I was taken back to the Minister of the Secretariat. In front of the gates of the Secretariat of the Secretariat, under the attention of all the onlookers, I was dressed in rags and completely without any etiquette. Like a beggar, I accepted Xia Yan and Jiang Su Su's affectionate greetings. The more pure and kind she was like a fairy, the more dirty I appeared. At that moment, I felt deeply ashamed. " Her tone was flat as she said these words, but her fingernails dug deeper and deeper. "Not long after I returned to the capital, it was the annual Lantern Festival. On the Ling Long Boat, you did not come that time, but all the aristocratic children in the capital were there. Jiang Su Su asked me to dance so that I would not lose face for the Minister of the Secretariat. She told me that I only needed to dance the songs and dances that were usually performed at banquets in the rural residence to liven things up. That day, I fell off the Ling Long Boat and was fished out, dripping wet. I became the laughingstock of the entire capital. "
She unconsciously dug her fingernails deeper and deeper. Even when blood appeared, she was completely unaware. In this world, there were many injuries that would not fade with the passage of time. If she did not think about it, it would not hurt, but every time she thought about it, every memory would be filled with pain and unwillingness. At this moment, a slender and slightly cool hand reached over and gently pried open the fingers that she had dug deep into her palm. Afraid that she would hurt herself again, he wrapped her small hand in his own slender palm.
Jiang Ruan looked at his actions in a daze. Only when she felt the warmth in her palm did she understand. She took a deep breath and her expression gradually calmed down. "Later on, Jiang Su Su and I attended various gatherings in the name of the Minister's fu's di daughter. Xia Yan hired a teacher for me, but she never taught me how to read, write, or manage the household chores. She only said that women did not need to learn these things, and only asked me to learn how to sing, dance, and play the zither. I did not know anything. Every day, when I went out with Jiang Su Su, outsiders would only praise her for her outstanding beauty and skills, but to me, she was a vulgar and unfashionable idiot beauty. "
"Later on, the reputation of an idiot beauty also disappeared. I don't know when, but rumors started to spread in the capital. Earlier on in the rural residence, the matter of Chen Zhao bullying me was also brought up. They said that I was young and did not know how to respect myself, that I knew how to seduce men, and that I had lost my virtue. At that time, I was about to reach marriageable age, and my reputation was already a complete mess. "
Xiao Shao slowly put his arm around her shoulders and pulled half of her body to lean against his chest. Only when he pulled her into his embrace did he realize that Jiang Ruan's body was as stiff as a block of wood. Her whole body was stretched taut, as if she was extremely nervous. Xiao Shao patted her back, and the gentleness of comforting a child caused her to relax a little. Jiang Ruan continued, "When my reputation was so bad, there was only one person who treated me with the same kindness, and that was Xuan Li."
Xiao Shao was startled. A trace of sorrow flashed through Jiang Ruan's tone. "That day at Ling Long Boat, when I made a fool of myself, he also disregarded everyone's gazes and came to comfort me. From then on, I thought that he was a kind and gentle person. Later on, he often came to the Minister's fu to talk to Jiang Quan, and he would also bring me some small gifts. He never called me an idiot beauty like others did, and he also never looked at me strangely. When Jiang Su Su and I appeared at the same time, he would not only have Jiang Su Su in his eyes and ignore me. At that time, I was truly happy. "
"The year I reached the age of Ji, His Majesty wanted to summon a new batch of beautiful women to enter the palace. Any concubine daughter of an official's family could also enter the palace. However, at that time, the Jiang and Xia families were rising steadily, and the Emperor was already feeling apprehensive. In the name of the concubine selection, it was better to say that they had been thrown into the palace as hostages to warn the Minister's fu. Jiang Li and Jiang Dan were only concubine daughters, so it was not important, and the Emperor would also not be satisfied. Jiang Quan blocked Jiang Su Su's portrait, and submitted mine. "
Xiao Shao stroked her hair. Even now, when she spoke of this matter, there was a trace of deep self-mockery in her tone. Perhaps, in both her previous and current lives, Jiang Ruan had not been able to understand one thing, and that was why Jiang Quan had treated her so. As biological father and daughter, no matter how indifferent he was, he should not have treated her this way. It was as if he treated an outsider better than her. Even a vicious tiger would not eat its cubs. Jiang Quan and she, perhaps, had formed an old grudge in their previous lives, but in this life, they had to use the name of father and daughter to settle the score.
"I was not willing to enter the palace, did not want to live with a man I had never met, and did not want to fight and scheme with a group of women in the depths of the palace. However, Jiang Quan said that if I did not go, the entire Minister's fu would be buried along with my willfulness. At that time, Xuan Li also advised me. He said that he would be able to protect me in the palace, and that one day, he would make me his legitimate wife. "
Xiao Shao raised his eyebrows without batting an eyelid. He probably felt that Xuan Li's words were a little too arrogant. Now, Xuan Li's wife was not Jiang Ruan. The competition between men had never been based on big talk, but on real ability.
"I did not understand the fickleness of human nature, so I believed him. I volunteered to replace Jiang Su Su and enter the palace as a concubine. " Jiang Ruan paused. In her ears, it seemed that before entering the palace, the clothes made by the people in the Minister's fu, or the loving and grateful faces, every word made her feel disgusted. If she had known that later on, she would have died for the sake of such a group of ruthless jackals and wolves, even if she had to die, she would have dragged the entire Minister's fu to the crime of deceiving the monarch to make amends.
"The days in the palace were the darkest days of my life. I was ridiculed by the imperial concubines, bullied by the palace maids, and everyone knew that I was not favored. Sometimes, I was even treated as a dancer of His Majesty's favored concubine. Even if I had a rank, no one paid any attention to me. I did not have a family that I could rely on. In order to show their loyalty, the Minister's fu would not interfere in the affairs of the Inner Palace and would never give me any support. They even hoped that I would die, so that perhaps they could win a trace of the Emperor's remorse. " She seemed to have thought of something as she smiled slightly, "Later, the Emperor gave Pei 'er to me and raised him under my name. Pei 'er was also an unfavored prince in the palace. We were neglected, and I was very grateful. Perhaps he was a gift from the heavens in my previous life. Knowing that I would not be able to hold on by myself, he gave me such a child. "
Xiao Shao's gaze moved slightly as he suddenly understood why Xuan Pei was so attached to Jiang Ruan. Just as Guan Liang Han had unintentionally said, Pei 'er was like a nestling clinging to its mother. If it was a mother and son from a previous life, it would indeed be the same in this life. But if that was the case, could it be that Pei' er also had memories of his previous life? Up until now, Xiao Shao had heard that Jiang Ruan's past was very tragic. He was unable to understand everything that Jiang Ruan had encountered. He was even more unable to imagine that this powerful woman in front of him, who did not care about anything, had also had a time of helplessness and despair.
"Xuan Li had his great ambitions to accomplish. He hoped that I would be an obedient chess piece in the palace, and that some of the things that were inconvenient for him to do could be done through my hands. Later on, he really did achieve this. That day, they killed the Emperor, but pushed all the blame on me. They said that I had poisoned His Majesty and that I was a demoness who would bring calamity to the country. " Sweat gradually seeped out of her palms, but her body was somewhat cold. "They pushed me down from the nine high steps, and my father personally ordered people to capture me. He simply did not protect me as he said he would. All he wanted was a stone to pave the road. When the road was paved, the stone would be useless. "
"Ah Ruan …" Xiao Shao could not help but hug her tightly. He was shocked and distressed by her words, but he could not do anything. He could only comfort her at this moment. But only he himself knew that at that moment, to Jiang Ruan, his comfort was of no use at all.
"Xiao Shao, do you think that this is the end?" Jiang Ruan shook her head and smiled. "My hell has just begun. I was sent to the Heavenly Prison, and someone rescued me from the cells of the condemned prisoners. I thought that escaping with my life was the beginning of the torture. Jiang Su Su told me that there were more than a hundred lives in the General fu, and all of them were executed as traitors after Xuan Li ascended to the throne. She told me that Eldest Brother had been killed, and Mother had also been killed. The main culprit was what I thought were my sisters and relatives. She said that she was already displeased that I had occupied the title of di daughter for too long. On that day, she pierced my eyes, chopped off my nose, pulled out my tongue, chopped off my limbs, and turned me into a human swine. " Xiao Shao, as the Master of the Brocade Guards for so many years, you should know what a human swine is. I am like a swallowed monster, and just looking at me makes people feel disgusted. "
"Ah Ruan!" Xiao Shao could not help but shout. He took a deep breath. He had always known that a strong heart must have come from a very deep torment. Jiang Quan's strength was different from ordinary people, and he must have suffered a lot of pain that ordinary people would not have experienced. But all his speculations could not compare to Jiang Ruan's pain at this moment. At this moment, he empathized with her and deeply understood Jiang Ruan's pain and despair. He understood why Jiang Ruan had always hated the Xia family and Jiang Quan so much. If it were him, his hatred would not be any less than Jiang Ruan's. Xiao Shao, who had always been indifferent and unmoved by anything, actually felt a trace of panic. If he lost Jiang Ruan, what would happen?
Jiang Ruan did not move and let him hug her tightly. She slowly said, "…. Later, she wanted someone to hand me over to Li Dong. In the Prime Minister's fu, before my eyes, I saw Li Dong … " She was finally unable to speak, and her voice was already choked with sobs. "I can endure anything, if it was directed at me, I would accept it. But they didn't even let my child off. In this lifetime, I will never forgive them! I will always remember the pain they brought me. In this lifetime, I am here for revenge! " She looked at Xiao Shao and slowly said, "In the 18th year of Xuande, Jiang Su Su became the Empress, Jiang Quan became a first-class official, the Xia family's chickens and dogs ascended to heaven, and I died."
"I died at the hands of the servants of the Prime Minister's fu. When I opened my eyes, I found myself back in the rural residence. I rejoiced that this was a chance given to me by the heavens. I worked hard to climb up, met Imperial Censor Wang, saved my Eldest Brother, and brought him to the General's fu to avoid disaster. Everything I did was to prevent what happened in my previous life from happening again. Everything I did was to return to collect a debt of blood. " She looked at Xiao Shao, and tears gradually welled up in her eyes. "I am a dead person, Xiao Shao, do you understand?"
These words made one's heart jump, but Xiao Shao only looked at her, and suddenly pulled her into his embrace again. He hugged her tightly, and in his embrace, she was as weak as a newborn beast, and could be easily broken by others. He gritted his teeth, and the expression on his elegant face was one of forbearance. He clenched his teeth with all his might, and the rims of his eyes were somewhat red. However, his tone was flat, and he still used his usual unquestionable expression. "I understand, but I don't care."
"You are my wife, and you are a member of the Xiao family. I will not hate you because of this, and I will not feel that you are an anomaly. I only regret, regret that in my previous life, I did not meet you earlier. "He took a deep breath, and then continued," I regret that in my previous life, I missed you, and that you suffered so much. "
Jiang Ruan stared blankly, and slowly reached out to hug his waist. Half smiling and half sighing, she said, "Fool, what does this have to do with you?"
The Master of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had always been cold-blooded and invincible, was not the slightest bit unhappy when someone called him a fool. At this moment, Xiao Shao only wanted to protect the person in front of him forever. As long as he thought about how, in some unknown lifetime, he had lost the person in front of him, his heart would ache so much that he could not breathe. And every sentence of Jiang Ruan's downplaying of the pain she had suffered in the past was a death of a thousand cuts for him in this life. He had never known that his wife had so many secrets. In this life, she had come bearing secrets, and lived for the sake of hatred. In those years when no one knew of her secrets, how lonely and lonely she had been. He did not dare to think about it.
Jiang Ruan slowly let go of him, and raised her head to look at him. The young man slightly bent over, and his pitch-black eyes were filled with indifference and gentleness like in the past. Just looking at them made people feel at ease. There was not the slightest trace of avoidance or disgust in his gaze. He was so sincere. Jiang Ruan suddenly stretched out her hand to cover his eyes. His long eyelashes brushed past Jiang Ruan's palm, and there was a ticklish sensation. Jiang Ruan slowly closed her eyes and kissed him.
"Fortunately, in this lifetime, you have not missed anything, and neither have I."
… …
Steward Lin sat restlessly outside for a long time. Finally, he decided to see what was going on inside. Cautiously standing at the door of the study, he used a needle to poke a small hole in the window and peered inside. Suddenly, he was stunned. In one breath, he jumped far away and retreated into the courtyard.
Jin Si looked at him curiously, "Old Lin, did Young Master and Young Madam quarrel? Why are you hiding? "
Steward Lin did not hear her words, and only frowned as he thought hard. How could they have ended up kissing? What the Young Master wanted to talk about should be very serious, and should not have gone off the rails to this extent. But why did Young Madam want to cover the Young Master's eyes? Could it be … … Old Lin's eyes brightened. The booklet that he had ordered people to hide under the mattress in Xiao Shao's bedroom had been seen by Young Madam? Young Madam was indeed a heroine, and was good at applying what she had learned. Covering her eyes was very novel, but wasn't it a little too bold in the study? But this was also good. If she could learn from the future Young Master of Jinying Wangfu early on, that would be the best. She just could not let anyone find out.
Steward Lin's complexion changed, and he sternly said to Jin Si, "Young Madam and the Young Master are discussing something very important in the study, do not disturb them. If the Emperor … … those imperial bodyguards come to cause trouble again, beat them all out. Not just anyone can behave atrociously in the Wangfu. " After he finished speaking, he walked towards the kitchen, "I have to instruct the cook to make something to nourish the body. I'm afraid that Young Madam has been working hard."
Jin Si shrugged his shoulders. Jin San popped out from behind and scratched his head, "Why do I feel that Old Lin is the one who has gone off the rails?"
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