When Jiang Ruan walked out of the Buddhist hall, Xiao Shao was waiting for her outside. When he saw Jiang Ruan, Xiao Shao stuffed the silver-plated heater into her hands and tightened her cloak before asking, "Are you alright?"
"Very happy." Jiang Ruan smiled sweetly at him, "Let's go back and talk."
With such a thing happening in the palace, it was inconvenient for Jiang Ruan and Xiao Shao to stay. At the very least, the Emperor should want to quietly think about this matter. Before Xuan Li left, he glanced at Jiang Ruan with a smile that was not a smile, as if he already knew everything. Jiang Ruan was not afraid. Before she left, she even leisurely said goodbye to Hui Jue and burned incense for the Crown Prince. Only then did she slowly leave the palace and board the carriage to return to the fu.
In the carriage, Xiao Shao saw that Jiang Ruan's complexion was not bad, without a trace of displeasure, and said, "What you did today was too dangerous." Although he had long known that Jiang Ruan's actions were somewhat risky, if she was not careful, she could provoke the fire, yet Jiang Ruan still did it. Even if Jinying Wang fu was behind her, in this kind of matter, if she was not careful, she could also get herself involved.
"I have already carefully thought about it," Jiang Ruan comforted him, "In the end, Xuan Hua did better than I thought. At least, it will be difficult for Jiang Dan to make a comeback this time." What kind of arrangement was especially built on an accurate grasp of the human heart. In reality, everything was interlinked, and she had predicted everyone's reactions. Xuan Hua's temperament was impetuous and he loved revenge. He would always seize the last opportunity to drag Jiang Dan down. After all, it was Jiang Dan who had directly caused him to fall into such a situation. And the Emperor acted arbitrarily. Today's matter was to pull out a thorn in his heart. Admittedly, Xuan Hua could not escape death, but Jiang Dan was a woman whom the Emperor had once trusted and doted on. To the Emperor, being betrayed by Jiang Dan and colluding with him was a major matter that despised the dignity of the imperial family. In addition, Jiang Dan now had a child in her belly. This would only thoroughly arouse the dark side of the Emperor's heart. It was impossible for Jiang Dan to die a painless death.
To avenge Zhao Mei, Jiang Dan had to die. A life for a life. But to let her die so easily would be letting her off too easily. After so many years of Jiang Dan's betrayal towards Zhao Mei, Jiang Ruan would definitely not let her off lightly. Therefore, Jiang Dan would certainly have to pay the price. The Emperor would not allow Jiang Dan to die easily, so this was the price she would have to pay.
Jiang Ruan turned her head to look at Xiao Shao. Xiao Shao noticed her gaze and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Do you think that I'm vicious and merciless?" Jiang Ruan asked hesitantly. No one would like the person sleeping next to them to be obsessed with revenge every day, not to mention that her heart had long been soaked in all kinds of things to the point where it was as solid as a rock.
The corners of Xiao Shao's mouth curled up slightly, and he seemed to find it slightly funny as he said, "That's just right."
It wasn't a false denial. He calmly admitted that she was indeed a vicious and merciless person, but he didn't show the slightest bit of disgust, and even a bit of admiration. He said, "I like it."
Jiang Ruan raised her eyebrows and laughed along with him. When they returned to the fu, Xia Qing had returned a step earlier than them. She looked at Jiang Ruan and was about to speak, but when her gaze fell on Xiao Shao, she retracted it. In the end, she couldn't help but say to Jiang Ruan angrily, "Third Sister-in-law, you have to keep your word. Now, you can let me think of a way to see Lin Zi Xiang, right?"
Jiang Ruan laughed in her heart. To deal with a stubborn fool like Xia Qing, only Lin Zi Xiang would be useful. She smiled and said, "Of course, I've always been a man of my word and a man of my actions. Wait for me to tidy up, then I'll tell you how to see her. "
Xia Qing felt extremely wronged. He had practiced medicine countless times in his life, and the most important thing was medical ethics and integrity. He would never speak against his conscience, and even more so, he would never give a random diagnosis. Today, Jiang Dan's slippery pulse had been tampered with by him, and Jiang Dan was not pregnant at all. This was the first time he had done something bad, and he was very afraid. In addition, he later found out that the Emperor had misunderstood Jiang Dan and Xuan Hua's relationship, and he felt even more remorseful and uneasy. Originally, he would not have done such a thing even if he died. Every doctor had their own rules to abide by. But recently, Lin Zi Xiang had not appeared for a long time. Even at the dim sum shop that she frequented, her family's servant girl did not come to buy any. He made an indirect approach and found out from Jiang Ruan that it turned out that Official Lin had recently been anxious about Lin Zi Xiang's marriage and had set his sights on a marriage with her. Lin Zi Xiang did not know what her intentions were. Xia Qing usually bickered with Lin Zi Xiang, and when he looked at her, he hated her. But now, he was shocked to realize that he did not want her to marry someone else. But Xia Qing was a fool, and did not know how to express his feelings. Moreover, Lin Zi Xiang did not even leave the fu, so how could he find an opportunity?
In desperation, Xia Qing could only seek help from Jiang Ruan. How could Jiang Ruan be willing to suffer a loss? She immediately made a deal with him. As long as he cooperated with the Emperor in putting on a show, she would personally tell him how to win the heart of a beautiful woman. On one hand, there was the medical ethics that he insisted on, and on the other hand, there was the possibility that his beloved might marry someone else. Little godly doctor Xia finally made up his mind. He thought that Jiang Dan was not a good person, and she actually wanted to splash dirty water on Jin Ying Wang fu. There was no harm in deceiving such a person. Finally, there was the scene of Jiang Dan's joyful pulse being felt in the meditation room.
So before that, Xia Qing's appearance in the palace was not a coincidence. It was really Jiang Ruan's arrangement. Every time Xia Qing thought of this, he would feel even more fearful of his third sister-in-law. How could there be such a deep scheming person in this world, to actually plan such a thing? Xuan Hua and Jiang Dan wanting to scheme against Jiang Ruan was simply showing off their slight skill in front of an expert.
When Jiang Ruan saw Xia Qing's awkward appearance, she only felt that it was somewhat funny. Xia Qing and Lin Zi Xiang, this pair of quarrelsome lovers, were just bystanders who were blinded by the situation. However, Lin Zi Xiang's shocking temperament could probably only be tolerated by people like Xia Qing, who did not adhere to worldly etiquette. In fact, to be precise, they were also very compatible. Lin Zi Xiang had been bedridden for the past few days because she had caught a cold. Coincidentally, Chief Historian Lin was also involved in the compilation of the history books. As a result, the Lin Residence was a little busy and Xia Qing did not have the opportunity to see Lin Zi Xiang. She had merely pushed the boat with the current and told a lie. On one hand, she had helped herself, and on the other hand, she could conveniently act as a matchmaker. Thinking about it, it was not a bad deal. In the future, if these two really became a couple, she would have to thank her.
After dismissing Xia Qing, Lu Zhu said with some curiosity, "I wonder how His Majesty will deal with Fourth Young Miss. Fourth Young Miss has lost so much face for the imperial family. Presumably, His Majesty will be very furious. His punishment will not be light. "
"Perhaps it will be hacked into pieces?" Lian Qiao shivered, "This servant has heard that the executioner is an expert in the art of hacking into pieces. The meat will be cut into thin slices, and there will be a total of a thousand slices. Only when the last slices are cut will the executioner be relieved. Previously, the executioner had to feel the pain while they were still alive. It was very torturous, and they could only watch themselves being sliced into pieces. "
"Aiya, that is really scary." Lu Zhu also trembled, "This is probably the most torturous method in the world."
The most torturous method? Jiang Ruan smiled slightly. Naturally, it was not. In the imperial family, there were countless secret tortures in the palace, and the outside world only knew of one in ten million of them. For example, in her previous life, the pain she had suffered before she died was also a kind of torture. It all depended on whether or not anyone found out.
Lu Zhu noticed Jiang Ruan's expression, and her heart moved, "Could it be that Miss has already guessed what the method is?"
"She is pregnant, so how could there be any other method? I have already thought of this punishment for her. "Jiang Ruan's tone was gentle," Stone punishment. "
...
That night in the palace, it was exceptionally lively. The person who had plotted to murder the Crown Prince was discovered, and it turned out to be the unrelated Fifth Prince, Xuan Li. It was said that the Supreme Court had investigated, and the Emperor had personally interfered. The evidence was conclusive, and Xuan Hua had also admitted his crime in front of the Emperor. When Concubine De heard this news, she fainted. When she woke up, she personally went to look for the Emperor. Everyone guessed that they had several decades of friendship, and Concubine De had always been the most obedient and obedient, so she still had to care about her face. Who knew that when Concubine De entered the Emperor's imperial study, she came out after an hour, her face was ashen, as if she had aged ten years overnight. As if she knew that the situation was hopeless, she asked to shave her head and become a nun.
With a wave of the Emperor's hand, Concubine De became a nun, which meant that Xuan Hua's case was set in stone. The crime of plotting to murder the Crown Prince was not a small one, and Xuan Hua would not be able to escape death. With Xuan Hua's defeat, the situation in the imperial court had completely changed. Xuan Hua's faction, which had once been Xuan Li's equal, quickly withered, and each went to seek refuge with a new master. Xuan Li was, after all, the old master's enemy, so it was not easy to get close to him. Thus, most of Xuan Hua's subordinates chose the newly rising power in the imperial court, Xuan Pei's side.
People were always like this, especially those in the imperial court. When the person left, the tea cooled, and everyone had to plan for their own future. As soon as Xuan Hua dismounted, the people behind him hurried to seek refuge with the next master. The connections and wealth that Xuan Hua had built up in the first half of his life had inadvertently become the wedding clothes of others, and had been taken advantage of by Xuan Pei. As for the fight for the throne, Xuan Pei's power rose rapidly, making up for the lack of a strong maternal family, and was almost on par with Xuan Li. The situation in the imperial court became tense again, but this was a story to be told later.
At the same time, the emperor's favorite concubine, Jiang Dan, was beaten to death for being disrespectful to the emperor and speaking ill of him in front of him. As for Wang Lian 'er, she suddenly contracted a bad disease and was sent out of the palace to be treated. Outsiders guessed that something must have happened in the imperial harem, but there was no news at all. No matter how people speculated, there was no answer, and it became an unsolved mystery. Of the emperor's three new favorite concubines, two had suddenly disappeared without a trace, leaving only the cold Mu Xirou by his side. The world changed so quickly that it made people sigh.
The night was cold. In an abandoned palace in the palace, jackdaws were resting, and night owls made strange cries. There were many people standing in a garden. The person in the center was surrounded on the ground, his hands and feet tied up with thick ropes. This was an uninhabited courtyard. Even in the palace, it seemed that no one had lived in this place for many years, as if there was no sign of human habitation.
The woman on the ground was in a sorry state. Her mouth was stuffed with a piece of rag, and she could only whimper in vain. Her eyes were wide open, as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. It was obvious that she was extremely terrified.
What was surprising was that there was a black water buffalo with plows next to the woman. It was very rare to see such a working buffalo in the palace. The ox was also extraordinarily large, and the back of the plow tool was a round object made of stone. It looked like a roller, and one could tell that it was very heavy at first glance.
The eunuch in the lead said in a sharp voice, "Be careful, be careful. Don't crush someone now." Then he turned his head and said to the woman in the red cloak, "Princess, please take a step back, in case the blood stains stain your dress."
"No harm," the woman's voice was as gentle as the wind, "Since I have specially come to send Fourth Younger Sister off, this Princess does not care." She looked at the woman still struggling on the ground and smiled, "Fourth Younger Sister, don't be afraid. In order to make you feel better, Older Sister has specially come here to accompany you and watch you suffer. Perhaps you will feel better with an old friend by your side."
"Wuwu …." The woman on the ground thrashed about in vain, but her pair of eyes were unable to restrain the hatred in them as they shot towards Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan did not avoid her gaze in the slightest, and with a gentle look in her eyes, she said, "Fourth Younger Sister is usually the kindest, and has never seen anything that reeks of blood. Presumably, you do not know what this punishment is. Since Older Sister is here, I will first inform Fourth Younger Sister. This will also save Fourth Younger Sister from feeling unfamiliar and not knowing what you will be facing. "
Jiang Dan's body trembled and she stopped moving, but her eyes were still fixed on Jiang Ruan.
"This is called the stone punishment. It has been a punishment since the founding of the Great Jin Dynasty. It is prepared for women who do not abide by the virtue of womanhood. This kind of punishment is specially aimed at those who have violated their bodies. If a woman has an affair and has an illegitimate child of a man outside, and is caught, this is the punishment that is used. This punishment requires the person to be on the ground, and the water buffalo here is used to slowly grind the person's stomach with a big stone roller, gradually grinding the illegitimate child out of the abdomen. The person who is being crushed needs to be skillful, so that the person does not die from the pain, and the strength must be controlled well. Over and over again, the woman's abdomen will be crushed until the person's intestines are completely crushed out, and the stomach will be flattened into a thin sheet of human skin. Only then will the person be able to breathe. Fourth Younger Sister, this is the stone punishment. "
Her smile was gorgeous and charming, and her tone was gentle, but the words that came out of her mouth made people tremble with fear. They only felt that each and every word was cold and mournful, making people more and more terrified. When Jiang Dan heard this, she struggled even more fiercely. She almost desperately used the last of her strength to break free — this kind of punishment was really too frightening.
Jiang Ruan looked at her calmly, and then looked at the hourglass at the side. Suddenly, she said, "The time seems to have come, let's start the punishment." As she had expected, the Emperor really used the stone punishment. This was the punishment for the situation of having an adulterer's child in the womb. The Emperor wanted to secretly punish Jiang Dan, but she also wanted to personally send him on his way.
Jiang Dan struggled with all her might, and the old eunuch at the side immediately waved his hand and said in a shrill voice, "Start the punishment — —"
The four people each pulled on the four ropes that bound Jiang Dan's hands and feet, and spread her flat on the ground. The water buffalo on the side sneezed heavily. Even though it was very far away, it seemed as if the smell of blood coming from the grindstone could be smelled. The bottom of the grindstone had some strange bright red stains, which were probably bloodstains.
Jiang Dan shook her head with all her might. The water buffalo dragged the heavy grindstone roller towards her step by step. Finally, the roller of the grindstone came into contact with her skin. Her upper body was originally naked, so the ice-cold sensation immediately caused her eyes to widen. It seemed as if she wanted to scream, but her mouth was blocked, and her eyeballs almost popped out of her eye sockets.
Jiang Ruan stood indifferently at the side. The stone mill rolled over Jiang Dan's body, aiming precisely at her abdomen. Although there was no so-called illegitimate child in Jiang Dan's abdomen, when it was pressed down for the first time, some bloodstains still seeped out. Jiang Dan's expression also became very painful, and even her hateful gaze could not be seen.
The people pulling the water buffalo did not dare to rest, and immediately began the second round. This thing was very particular about technique. One could not let the person die from the pain, and they had to ensure that the person was still hanging on one breath from the beginning to the end. Therefore, after the first round of grinding, someone immediately came over and sprinkled a thin layer of salt on Jiang Dan's abdomen.
Time passed second by second. It was not the first time that anyone who had been present that day had seen such a scene, but even these people who had been through hundreds of battles could not remain indifferent when they saw such a cruel punishment. The woman's mournful screams lingered in the air above the palace for a long time, painting the gloomy palace with a layer of gloomy color, as if it was hell on earth.
After an unknown amount of time, the eunuch finally waved his hand, and the people pulling the ox cart retreated to one side. On the snow-covered ground, there was only a bare piece of human skin, spread out thinly. Next to it was a pile of colourful filth, and the air was filled with a strong fishy smell. The accompanying imperial bodyguards felt somewhat nauseous. Looking at the woman who stood in front of them without a change in expression, they all shuddered with fear. Such a scene, even big men like them would be terrified if they saw it. Why had Jiang Ruan been so calm from beginning to end, and not even a trace of discomfort had shown on her face?
Jiang Ruan lowered her eyes. Jiang Dan had hidden her wolf-like ambition and followed Zhao Mei. Zhao Mei had always treated her kindly, but she had repaid her with such viciousness. This kind of person most likely did not have a heart, or perhaps her heart, liver, and lungs were all black. She wanted to see for herself, and personally design a way for Jiang Dan to die empty-handed, to see if her heart was as black as she had imagined.
"Gong-gong, can I take this piece of human skin with me?" Jiang Ruan said softly. Tian Zhu conveniently stuffed a heavy gold ingot into the hands of the old eunuch. The old eunuch beamed, "Of course, of course, as long as Wangfei cleans it up, this convenience, this servant will also do it."
"Then many thanks." Jiang Ruan smiled, and instructed Tian Zhu, "Send this thing to the imperial prison. In any case, she is Minister Jiang's biological daughter. As father and daughter, they should meet one last time. "
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