In the dimly lit room, a few lanterns were lit for no reason. The bright pink lanterns were made of poor quality cloth, and the incense in the room gave off a nauseating smell. The incense curled in the air, and the more one breathed in, the more it made one's heart feel hot, as if something was scratching at one's chest.
The door was kicked open with a bang, and three burly middle-aged men walked in from the outside. The three of them had dark skin and dirty clothes. One look and one could tell that they were slaves who worked as laborers. As soon as they walked in, the three men's eyes fell on the three people in the room.
The two young men lying on the bed had fair skin, and under the dim light, they looked handsome. Although their bodies were slender, their skin was soft and tender. The leader's eyes lit up, and he praised, "Liu San Niang said that a few good people came today, and she was right." He strode over and touched Li Yang's face, then looked down at the other person, and frowned, "What's wrong with this person? Is Liu San Niang playing with us? "
Li Dong's face was pale, and his heart was filled with anger and fear. He had played with countless boys in his life, and naturally knew what kind of place this was. But who would have thought that today, he would be at the mercy of others in a place like this? It was unbelievable!
Although he was furious, his body was too weak to move, and the words he spoke were weak and powerless. The other middle-aged man smiled, and his face was filled with lust. "Who cares, it's all the same if the light is turned off. Although he's a little old, he's still young. The three of us brothers will have a good time tonight. Liu San Niang asked us for one tael of silver, and we paid a lot of money today. We must have some fun. "
Li Yang looked at the three people in fear. The man in the lead narrowed his eyes and looked at him. He reached his hand into Li Yang's clothes. The room was lit with aphrodisiac incense, and the man was like dry firewood and a raging fire. Now that he was up close, Li Yang's handsome face was filled with fear, and he immediately had that thought. Without saying a word, he pulled Li Yang's clothes.
Li Dong closed his eyes in pain. Even if Li Yang was a playboy, he was still his son. At this moment, he was going to be humiliated by these lowly peasants.
The other two were already eager to give it a try. They walked to Li An's side. Li An's body was unable to move, so he glared fiercely at the two men. His gaze was sinister, causing the two men to be startled. When they came back to their senses, they couldn't help but fly into a rage out of humiliation. One of them slapped Li An's face, causing him to stagger. The other impatiently tore open his clothes and pants. He was stunned for a moment, then he suddenly burst into laughter and said, "It's actually a natural castrated body!" As he said this, he stroked it, "Since you have a naturally castrated body, your body should be below. Why don't you let us brothers teach you so that you can understand what is going on?"
A palm print appeared on Li An's pale face. His fierce expression only made people feel even more tyrannical. His face started to turn red. Liu San Niang had given the three of them the strongest medicine they had. They had to have sex with other people constantly, or else their bodies would not be able to bear it. For example, although he was glaring angrily at others, his body was no longer listening to him. The two men looked at each other, and without another word, they swarmed over him. Stifled groans and thought-provoking screams resounded in the room.
Not knowing how much time had passed, Li An and Li Yang had become unrecognizable. The three men had come in a menacing manner, and their bodies were strong and healthy. They had tortured them to the point where they didn't even look human. The two of them lay on the ground, their bodies covered in filth. The three men looked at each other, then at Li Dong, who was shivering on the bed. With a wave of their hands, the lights went out, and the three of them swarmed over him again.
Outside the room, Jiang Ruan stood quietly in front of the door. Listening to the sounds of pain, her expression was incomparably indifferent.
What floated in her mind was the last moments of her past life, the young boy's frightened eyes, and Li Dong's ugly face as he laughed. With her own eyes, she had seen Pei 'er, whom she had regarded as her own son, being toyed to death by Tu. She couldn't speak, and her body couldn't move. She could only watch helplessly. Using her tears and blood, she swore that in this life, she would let Li Dong have a taste of this!
She had thought that after such a long time, at this moment, her heart would only feel carefree. She had thought that her love and hatred had been well concealed, and would not easily rush out from the bottom of her heart. Only now, listening to the screams of Li Dong and his sons, did she understand that the hatred had always been hidden in the bottom of her heart. Moreover, it was far from enough!
It was far from enough. If the Prime Minister's fu fell, who would be next?
Not far behind her, Xiao Shao looked at her back. When he heard that she was going to send Li Dong and his sons to the brothel, he was slightly surprised. At this moment, he saw that her expression was ice-cold and her eyes were dark. He didn't know what she was thinking, but it seemed like she was brewing a storm of emotions. Although she tried her best to conceal it, her hands were clenched into fists.
Only hatred could cause people to be like this.
After a long time, Jiang Ruan slowly turned around. Seeing that he was still there, she was also stunned. However, she quickly recovered and walked up to him, saying, "Many thanks, Xiao Wangye."
Xiao Shao looked at her thoughtfully, "No need. I owe you a life, so I will help you."
Jiang Ruan smiled slightly, "Then I ask Xiao Wangye to send people to take good care of this brothel, and be sure to take good care of the Prime Minister's family."
Xiao Shao was flabbergasted. She was an unmarried woman, but she was very knowledgeable about these things. She even knew about the brothel in the path of spiritual awakening. Who would teach a young lady these things? Moreover, even if she knew, she still stood at the door and listened without a trace of embarrassment. She was so magnanimous that it made people click their tongues in wonder.
He nodded, "Alright." After thinking for a while, he took out an object from his bosom and handed it to Jiang Ruan.
It was a very beautiful bracelet that emitted a faint blue light. It was engraved with small and complicated patterns, but it didn't seem complicated. It had a meaning of its own. This bracelet looked very familiar. Jiang Ruan glanced at it and was startled, "Blood Moon Bracelet?"
She and Zhao Jin had gone to the newly opened jewelry building in the capital. On the second floor, where weapons and treasures were sold, she had taken a fancy to this bracelet. However, she didn't have enough money to buy it. That bracelet looked good, but in reality, it was an exquisite hidden weapon. By pressing a mechanism, it could shoot out a silver poison needle. This needle could also be used repeatedly. It was truly a treasure.
She raised her head to look at Xiao Shao. Xiao Shao's pitch-black eyes were cold and serene as he said, "If there is danger, you can use it."
Jiang Ruan hesitated. The Blood Moon Bracelet was indeed a rare treasure, and it was exactly what she needed. However, Xiao Shao had just expressed that he was on her side. Was he trustworthy?
However, her love for the bracelet temporarily overcame the doubts in her heart. She took the bracelet and smiled at Xiao Shao, "Many thanks to your Highness."
Xiao Shao pursed his lips, turned around, and walked in front of her, one behind the other. He reminded her, "Jiang Chao has already been released from prison."
Jiang Ruan thought for a moment, "I know." She had never thought that she could defeat Jiang Chao in one blow. Without concrete evidence, Jiang Chao would at most arouse suspicion. Xia Yan would certainly do everything possible to rescue Jiang Chao from prison. However, Jiang Chao might have to pay a price. Needless to say, just his reputation alone would make it impossible for Jiang Chao to raise his head again in this lifetime.
Who would look favorably upon a person who had been in prison?
As for Xia Yan, the price she had to pay might not be so simple. In short, these two people had suffered a double loss this time. Thinking about it made one feel a little happy.
So be it, one at a time. Debts owed should be paid, and lives should be exchanged for lives. This was a matter of course.
...
In the Jiang fu's Yan Hua Yuan, Xia Yan's lips trembled as she looked at Jiang Chao in front of her.
Jiang Chao's complexion was pale, and his entire person seemed to have sunk into extreme fear. His cheeks were deeply sunken, his eyes were lifeless, his hair was stained with a lot of filth, and his entire body emitted a nauseating stench. However, after a few short days in prison, it was as if he had changed into a completely different person. There was no trace of the elegant young master of the past.
The physician had already come to take a look and said that Jiang Chao's lower body had been torn, and he had also suffered a shock. He needed to stay in the fu to recuperate. Although the physician's words were extremely vague, in Xia Yan's ears, it was like she had been struck by lightning.
Jiang Chao had been humiliated in prison!
She looked at Jiang Chao in disbelief. Jiang Chao's entire body had shrunk into a ball, and he curled up in a corner of the room. His entire body trembled as he muttered, "Don't … don't …"
Xia Yan finally could not bear it any longer. She pulled him into her embrace and screamed, "Chao 'er!"
Jiang Chao pushed her with all his might, his eyes filled with fear. He bit her frantically, "Go away, go away!"
Xia Yan was caught off guard and was bitten on the hand. The bite was extremely deep, and blood immediately gushed out like a fountain. Lin Lang was shocked into a daze and hurriedly came over to help, "Furen, how are you?"
Xia Yan pushed Lin Lang away with one hand and hugged Jiang Chao without a care. Crying, she said, "My Chao 'er, open your eyes and look clearly. I am your mother, I am your mother!"
Her embrace was too tight, and Jiang Chao could not break free. Gradually, he calmed down in Xia Yan's embrace. In a trembling voice, he said, "Mother?"
"It's me, I am your mother." Xia Yan could not control her pain. "Chao 'er, who did this to you?"
Jiang Chao's entire body trembled. He grabbed Xia Yan's sleeve and repeatedly said one sentence, "Mother, save me, save me, save me …"
Those unbearable images flashed through his mind. That prison was not a place for people to stay. Those prisoners were all vicious and wicked people. He did not know who had ordered the jailers to lock him up with those people. Those people were extremely vile and did not differentiate between men and women … They wanted to forcibly humiliate him. In the few short days he had been in prison, he had been tortured to the point that he did not even look human.
Thinking of this, Jiang Chao felt a wave of acid rise up in his stomach. With a 'wa' sound, he vomited all over Xia Yan's head and face. The few servant girls in the room were shocked and hurried over to help. Xia Yan only felt dizzy and had someone take Jiang Chao back first.
Only after Jiang Chao had fallen asleep with great difficulty did Xia Yan go to change her clothes. Her entire person seemed to have aged ten years overnight. She no longer had the gentle and beautiful appearance from before. At this moment, her hands were pressed against her forehead, and she looked like an old middle-aged woman.
Lin Lang worriedly said, "Furen …"
"How dare she treat Chao 'er like this." Thinking of Jiang Chao, Xia Yan's heart ached. "I must make that slut pay back a thousand times over."
She knew that this matter should be blamed on Li An, but Li An was already in prison. She pushed all the blame onto Jiang Ruan. If not for her, Jiang Chao would not have ended up like this!
"Furen, the money over there has been settled. The account book in the storeroom still needs to be amended." Lin Lang reminded her.
At the mention of this matter, Xia Yan's chest felt stifled. At that time, after Jiang Chao's incident at Bai Hua Lou, she had spent almost all of her money. Even her own dowry had been lost. Now that he had rescued Jiang Chao from the prison, he had spent quite a sum of money to get things done. The remainder of her dowry would be left for Jiang Su Su as her dowry in the future. Now that there was not much money left in the public purse, she had set her sights on Old Jiang Madame's dowry. Old Jiang Madame was originally the daughter of a noble family. Her dowry was very generous, but because it would be left for Jiang Quan in the future, Xia Yan did not have any other thoughts. However, a few days ago, Jiang Chao had met with a mishap. In his anger, Jiang Quan had ignored it, so she could only ask Old Jiang Madame for help. Old Jiang Madame refused without hesitation. In the past, she could still ask Xia Cheng for help, but in recent times, Xia Cheng and the Jiang family already had many grievances. Xia Yan had no choice. Old Jiang Madame's money was in her hands and she could not get it, but the estates and fields under her name were dead. Xia Yan had sold those shops and fields behind everyone's back in exchange for money to rescue Jiang Chao.
Now that Jiang Chao had returned, she still had to think of a way to clear up the accounts. Xia Yan felt dizzy and her vision blurred. She had always appeared indifferent to worldly affairs, but in reality, she was incomparably astute. However, with all these things coming at her at once, she had no idea what to do.
She shook her head and said to Lin Lang, "Help me take a walk in the courtyard."
Lin Lang obeyed and helped her to the entrance of the courtyard. Just then, she saw Jiang Ruan and Lian Qiao pass by. When Jiang Ruan saw Xia Yan, she stopped and greeted her, "Mother."
Xia Yan forced a smile and nodded. She was not in the mood to put on a show of motherly love and filial piety, and her eyes did not conceal the hatred.
Jiang Ruan took a step back and smiled, "Why does Mother have such a smell on you? Let's go back and clean it up first. Ruan niang will return to the courtyard. "After saying this, she left with Lian Qiao.
Xia Yan watched Jiang Ruan's departing figure and thought of Jiang Chao's sorry state of vomiting all over her. She almost ground her teeth to pieces.
...
Jiang Xin Zhi first went to Jiang Ruan's courtyard when he returned. Jiang Ruan was instructing Lian Qiao, Baizhi and the others to change the clothes that had been damp for the past few days. Seeing Jiang Xin Zhi enter, Lian Qiao hurriedly went to make a cup of tea. Jiang Ruan sat opposite him.
Jiang Xin Zhi paused, then went straight to the point, "Ah Ruan, Li Dong and his sons died in prison yesterday."
Jiang Ruan raised her eyebrows slightly, "Oh?"
"The jailer found them this morning. They were said to have committed suicide to escape punishment. His Majesty was furious and wanted to dismember their corpses. " At this point, Jiang Xin Zhi angrily said, "This is called reincarnation. It's not that retribution has not come, but that the time has not yet come. They wanted to marry you off, but they didn't want to be fated to do so. "
Jiang Ruan had a faint smile on her face, but she pondered in her heart. Li Dong and his sons committing suicide to escape punishment should be Xiao Shao's doing. Although she did not know what method he had used, even Jiang Xin Zhi had not discovered anything amiss. Naturally, it should have been flawless.
She lowered her head and smiled faintly, but in Jiang Xin Zhi's eyes, his heart was moved. He softened his voice and said, "In a few days, His Majesty will hold a palace banquet to reward the ministers who have rendered meritorious service in controlling the floods. At that time, I will also go. You, as a family member, will also go. At that time, Eldest Brother will help you plan a good future. "
Jiang Ruan naturally understood what he meant by these words. Jiang Xin Zhi wanted to use his meritorious service to change her identity, or an opportunity to elevate her status. So that the Jiang family would not dare to easily bully her. Jiang Xin Zhi said, "Nowadays, the greater my meritorious service, the more His Majesty will value me. The West is not very peaceful, and it is inevitable that one day he will lead troops into battle. If you have protection, it will be extremely good."
"Protection?" Jiang Ruan smiled slightly, "How does Older Brother want to protect me? Change the identity of a Junzhu? Older Brother, do not forget that thunder, rain, and dew are the benevolence of the ruler. Now that His Majesty values Older Brother, this is an opportunity for Older Brother. However, if Older Brother rashly guesses the Emperor's heart, and even uses this kind of bartering attitude, I am afraid that His Majesty will not be pleased. As for the identity of a Junzhu, I am not saying this on purpose, but for the time being, Older Brother's meritorious service is not enough. "
Jiang Xin Zhi was speechless. He understood that what Jiang Ruan said was right. However, riches and honor were like fleeting clouds to him. Now, he only hoped that Jiang Ruan could live a good life. However, what kind of place was the Jiang fu? These days, Jiang Xin Zhi had clearly seen the faces of these people. He only felt apprehensive for Jiang Ruan's past life. In the future, when he went into battle, how could he feel at ease leaving Jiang Ruan in such a dangerous place?
Jiang Ruan looked at him, smiled, and said, "If I don't change the identity of a Junzhu, there is actually another way to protect me."
"What is it?" Jiang Xin Zhi asked.
"It's very simple. Find a person with great power to be engaged to me. Once there is an engagement, I will only be half a member of the Jiang family. If that person's power is great, the people here will not dare to make things difficult for me."
When Jiang Xin Zhi heard this, he did not even think about it and refused, "That won't do. You are still so young, how can you be in such a hurry to find someone to be engaged to." He looked at Jiang Ruan's generous attitude without the slightest bit of bashfulness, and was even more certain that Jiang Ruan did not understand what an engagement was. He said, "Moreover, the Jiang family and the Xia family are on good terms, and the Xia family and the Eighth Prince are on good terms. How can it be so easy to find someone who can contend with the Eighth Prince?" At this point, he seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly froze, not speaking for a long time.
Jiang Ruan looked at him, "Older Brother?"
Jiang Xin Zhi returned to his senses and looked at her strangely, "Ah Ruan, what do you think of Xiao Shao?"
Jiang Ruan, "..."
He was actually seriously considering this matter. Jiang Ruan glared at him, and after a long time, she sighed and said softly, "Older Brother, have you forgotten that I said that I do not want to marry?" Without waiting for Jiang Xin Zhi's reply, she continued, "Moreover, the affairs of the world are ever-changing, and the in-laws may become man-eating wolves. Has Older Brother forgotten about Mother?"
Zhao Mei was so innocent, yet in the Jiang fu, her youthful and flower-like life had been ruined. Was it not because of Jiang Quan's heartlessness?
Moreover, in her previous life, she had fallen to the point where her life was worse than death, and her relatives had been completely slaughtered. Was it not because Xuan Li had used a gentle facade to deceive her into trusting him?
In the end, the human heart was the most unreliable thing in this world.
The coldness in Jiang Ruan's eyes was too deep, and even Jiang Xin Zhi was slightly stunned. He reached out and touched Jiang Ruan's head, "But you are still a little girl, how can you speak so maturely?" He said, "With Older Brother here, you will not be wronged."
"Older Brother does not need to worry about me. I have a way to fulfill Older Brother's wish at this time's palace banquet. Older Brother must also promise me one thing, do not use your own future to gamble for my happiness. To Ah Ruan, the higher Older Brother's position is, the safer it will be, and Ah Ruan will be more at ease. "
Jiang Xin Zhi looked at her and nodded, "Alright, I promise you."
...
In the capital, at the Eighth Prince's fu, Xuan Li's expression was fretful. His pair of eyes, which had always been gentle and affectionate, were now exuding anger. Unexpectedly, Li Dong and the other two had committed suicide in prison to escape punishment. Given Li Dong's temperament, he would definitely not do such a thing. But now, his every move was under the eyelids of others. With this incident at the Prime Minister's fu, the imperial censors were eyeing him covetously, and they could not wait for him to commit some kind of mistake. The people he had sent out had not been able to obtain any useful information. Thinking that he had lost a good chess piece for no reason, Xuan Li felt extremely depressed and indignant.
Although he had already decided to abandon the Prime Minister's fu, this was not the time. In his hands, he had always squeezed out every last bit of value. Even if the Prime Minister's fu was to be destroyed, it had to be destroyed in a way that would pave the way for him to move forward. Who would have thought that Li Dong and the other two would die in prison for no reason? The dead could not testify, and those suspicions towards him would become a thorn, deeply embedded in the Emperor's heart, unable to be pulled out.
How could he not be angry and resentful!
A subordinate beside him came to report, "Your Highness, the investigation has been completed. That day, Young Master Li originally wanted to deal with Eldest Jiang Miss, but for some unknown reason, he attracted the soldiers and even the Scarlet Thunder Army was destroyed in one fell swoop."
Jiang Ruan, it was Jiang Ruan again! Xuan Li suddenly stood up, but then sat back down. He only felt stuffy in his chest. Li An thought that he had concealed the true strength of the Scarlet Thunder Army, but in fact, everything was under his control. He had thought of a certain opportunity to take the Scarlet Thunder Army under his control. Who would have thought that the Scarlet Thunder Army would become a hot potato, and he could only watch helplessly as they were captured by the soldiers.
Thinking of that day when several Scarlet Thunder Army units were suddenly destroyed, he could not help but suspect that those soldiers were all from the Zhao and Guan families. Not to mention the Guan family, the Zhao family was really too coincidental. At this moment, when he heard his subordinate say that Li An originally wanted to deal with Jiang Ruan, he gradually understood in his heart.
If Jiang Ruan was really the cause of all this, then she was really too scary.
He remembered that when Li An had not been captured, the two of them had chatted, and Li An had once said, "Eldest Jiang Miss's wisdom is not comparable to that of ordinary people. If there is a chance, Your Highness can consider taking her in for your own use. If not, you must kill her, otherwise, she will become a big trouble in the future."
At that time, he had scoffed, but now that he thought about it, his expression could not help but become serious. What was Li An hinting at in those words? And this time, if Li An had really fallen into Jiang Ruan's hands, then he had to carefully re-evaluate this Eldest Jiang Miss.
If Jiang Ruan's wisdom could not be compared to Li An's, then she would be an excellent help. In any case, he wanted to rope in the Jiang and Xia families, so marrying Jiang Ruan or Jiang Su Su was no different. And now that Jiang Su Su's reputation was ruined, Jiang Ruan was so intelligent … He thought of Jiang Ruan's charming and moving appearance in her youth. His heart swayed, and he suddenly sighed in comfort.
If he could take her in for his own use, if he could take her in for his own use … He suddenly smiled, swept away the haze on his face, and said, "Get ready, I want to enter the palace to see Imperial Mother."
It was still unknown who would emerge victorious.
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