The rain in the capital fell incessantly, pattering without end. It had been raining for nearly a month now, and many farmlands had already suffered flood damage. Grain prices in the capital had begun to rise, even for old grain. Food was already scarce in this world, and while wealthy families could still buy fresh grain from outside at high prices, ordinary households found their grain stores dwindling daily—some had even begun going without meals. People prayed continuously for this spring rain to stop soon, but heaven did not comply with human wishes, and the rain showed no signs of abating.

Jiang Quan had already arranged the family temple matter. In a few days, Jiang Susu would be sent to the temple. Although Xia Yan and Jiang Chao had been trying to persuade Jiang Quan, his mind was made up. The Xia family, due to Xia Jun’s situation, had not pleaded for Jiang Susu either, so the matter was settled.

The day after Madam Jiang’s birthday celebration, rumors about the Jiang family in the capital indeed multiplied. Foremost among them was how Daoist Xukong had fabricated Jiang Ruan’s jinx star fate, causing her to be sent to the estate from age five and suffer five years of undeserved hardship. The capital’s upper class were neither blind nor deaf—naturally, the clever ones could see clearly through the schemes. Xia Yan’s reputation as a gentle, virtuous, and talented lady gained new interpretations. However, Jiang Ruan’s performance that day also showed her deep scheming, making people in the capital realize that this legitimate eldest daughter of the Jiang family was not to be underestimated.

Jiang Ruan sat by the window, gazing absently at the curtain of rain outside. The hole in the roof had been repaired, and after that day, not only was the hole fixed, but her monthly allowance had also returned to its original amount. Presumably, Jiang Quan felt he had lost face before the noble ladies and had warned Xia Yan about this matter.

Lu Zhu carried in a basin of fresh roses and placed them by the courtyard gate, then walked into the room with a smile: “Miss, this servant heard today that Daoist Xukong was arrested by the patrol office. They say he was a fraud and swindler, and now he’s been thrown in prison and given a good beating with boards. I heard one of his legs is even crippled.” She spat: “Serves him right! Who told him to be so black-hearted, making up rumors about jinx stars to slander miss.”

Jiang Ruan remained noncommittal. With so many ladies present that day, it was inevitable that someone would expose Daoist Xukong. Daoist Xukong had probably been doing business for more than just the Xia family all these years. When families who had invited him heard about this, they would naturally be furious and file complaints with the patrol office.

Lian Qiao followed her gaze to look outside the window and sighed deeply: “Who knows when this rain will stop.” She suddenly said quietly: “Miss, now that grain is scarce in the city, why not sell our grain now? We could surely make a fortune.”

Jiang Ruan shook her head. Lu Zhu said: “Miss, do you want to wait a few more days? But we don’t know when this rain will stop—the timing is perfect now.”

“The grain we bought isn’t for selling,” Jiang Ruan smiled slightly.

“Then what’s it for?” Lu Zhu asked, puzzled.

“Saving people.”

“Saving people.” Lu Zhu mulled over these two words, then her eyes suddenly brightened: “Miss, do you want to wait a few more days, then take out this grain for disaster relief, distributing it to those disaster victims to save their lives?”

“You’re only half right,” Jiang Ruan smiled: “I don’t want to save their lives.” What she wanted to save was the Zhao family.

Lu Zhu blinked and didn’t ask further. After thinking, she suddenly said: “Miss, this servant heard that the reservoir in the northern part of the capital has begun overflowing. His Majesty has appointed the Eighth Prince to manage flood control and specifically recalled Young Master Li An from Prime Minister Li’s residence to assist.”

Lu Zhu was a second-class maid who had more opportunities to interact with common people. She was good at making connections and had broad information channels, often learning news first.

“Li An,” Jiang Ruan smiled, her eyes startlingly bright: “Finally, I’ve been waiting for this.”

Li Dong had two sons. Li Yang was debonair and frivolous, learning nothing useful—a complete wastrel. Now that Li Yang had become a cripple, Li Dong would surely not let this go, but the reason he had yet to move against the Jiang family was probably due to his younger son Li An. Li An was sinister, cunning, and extremely intelligent. In the past, Xuan Li had valued him greatly. If Xuan Li’s cultivation of Li Dong was three parts for Li Dong’s power, then seven parts were for Li An’s intelligence and wit.

Li An was also extremely protective of his own, especially regarding Li Yang whom he considered very important. Jiang Ruan smiled slightly. In her previous life, Xuan Li had told her a secret—a secret about Li An. A secret that even Li Yang and Li Dong didn’t know, and this secret would be her greatest bargaining chip.

She said to Lu Zhu: “Tell Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi to come back quickly and bring a set of leaf cards.”

“Miss wants to play leaf cards?” Lu Zhu smiled: “This servant will call them back immediately.”

Prime Minister’s Residence in the capital.

Li Dong sat on a soft couch in the center of the main hall. One beautiful concubine was massaging his shoulders while another knelt below, gently pounding his legs. Both concubines looked somewhat frightened. Li Dong’s face was iron-blue, his fat face showing none of its usual false smile, revealing his fierce nature—clearly he was in a foul mood.

A servant came to report: “Second Young Master has returned.”

A young man walked in from outside the hall. This youth appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a sky-blue brocade outfit with a yellow tiger-stripe silk belt around his waist. His features were handsome and his skin pale, as if he never walked in sunlight. His deep black eyes were filled with gloom.

Seeing this youth, Li Dong immediately stood up: “Why are you only coming back now!”

“Father,” Li An frowned: “How is elder brother now?”

At the mention of Li Yang, a flash of malice crossed Li Dong’s face: “What do you think? His life is ruined. I must make Jiang Susu pay with her life.”

“This matter cannot be undertaken rashly,” Li An looked at Li Dong with displeasure. Hearing him say this, Li Dong angrily said: “You told me in your letter to temporarily leave the Jiang family alone. What’s really going on? Your brother is now lying in bed unable to move, and we still can’t kill that bitch?”

“Father really thinks elder brother was harmed by Second Miss Jiang like this?” Li An said.

“What do you mean?”

Li An looked at him mockingly: “It’s too obvious. Father has been blinded by rage and can no longer think clearly. This matter is nothing more than someone with ulterior motives trying to provoke conflict between the Jiang and Li families to reap the benefits.”

“Is it people from the Fifth Prince’s side?” Li Dong asked. Currently, the most powerful force opposing Xuan Li in court was the Fifth Prince.

“No.” Li An interrupted him: “The Jiang residence is just a small place. The person who plotted against elder brother must have been mixed in among the Jiang household—very likely a member of the Jiang family. I’ve thought about it, and Second Miss Jiang is least likely to plot against elder brother. Among the other Jiang daughters, Third Miss’s concubine mother’s family has career connections with Jiang Quan, so they couldn’t possibly ruin their own prospects. That leaves only the eldest and fourth misses. Both their birth mothers are gone, and neither is loved by Jiang Quan. If we’re talking about who least wants Jiang Quan to have a good life, it’s probably these two. Looking at the aftermath, the eldest miss benefited most.”

“You’re saying the eldest miss plotted against your elder brother and framed the second miss? That bitch!” Li Dong’s face twisted with rage.

“Not necessarily, so I need to visit the Jiang family to see these two in person before I can be certain.” A strange light flashed in Li An’s eyes: “To dare plot against elder brother takes considerable nerve. If I catch them…” Li An’s lips curved in an excited smile, his handsome face looking particularly eerie at this moment: “It would be fun to torture them slowly.”

Jiang Ruan was playing leaf cards with Lian Qiao and the others. Jiang Ruan won every round. Lu Zhu pouted: “Miss always wins. At least lose one game to make us servants happy. You’re not cheating, are you?”

Lian Qiao knocked her head: “What nonsense are you talking? If your skills are inferior, you blame miss for cheating. Aren’t you ashamed?”

Jiang Ruan raised her eyebrows: “Didn’t you learn leaf cards from childhood? How do you still need someone to let you win?”

Lu Zhu’s face reddened: “Miss is a natural expert.”

As they were chatting and laughing, a young maid suddenly came to the door: “Eldest Miss, Second Young Master Li is in the hall and wishes to see you.”

Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi’s expressions changed, looking nervously at Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan remained unmoved: “He works fast indeed.”

“Miss, be careful,” Lu Zhu said seriously: “Second Young Master Li is extremely cunning. This time he’s probably discovered something.”

“This was meant for him to see anyway,” Jiang Ruan smiled: “Lian Qiao, Bai Zhi, let’s go.”

The three walked to the hall, where Jiang Susu and Jiang Dan were also present. At this moment, Jiang Susu was talking with the young man. Li An said: “For such a wonderful person as Second Miss to be possessed by demons and have to live deeply secluded in a family temple is truly regrettable,” appearing quite sorrowful.

Jiang Susu’s beautiful eyes brimmed with tears, appearing to barely contain her grievance—a truly pitiful sight. She said: “It’s all… Su Niang’s fate.” This Second Young Master Li was completely different from the eldest young master. When Li Yang ended up in that state, Jiang Susu had been somewhat afraid when Li An arrived today specifically asking to see her. But upon meeting, Li An was very gentle, showing no blame whatsoever. Instead, hearing about her going to the family temple, he offered gentle comfort. A flash of resentment crossed Jiang Susu’s heart—this was the match Xia Yan had previously wanted to arrange for Jiang Ruan. Such a handsome, gentle man—why was Jiang Ruan always so blessed!

Jiang Ruan stood at the front of the hall, naturally taking in Jiang Susu’s shy appearance completely, a cold smile crossing her heart. Jiang Susu was truly naive, actually thinking the person sitting before her was a gentle noble young master. This young master’s thoughts were deeper than the most venomous snake.

Jiang Dan maintained a timid, uneasy expression sitting to one side. Seeing Jiang Ruan arrive, she opened her mouth joyfully: “Elder sister!”

Jiang Susu and Li An both looked toward Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan smiled slightly, slowly stepped forward, and bowed to Li An: “Greetings to Second Young Master Li.”

Li An quickly looked Jiang Ruan up and down, then smiled: “Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Ruan sat down beside Jiang Dan and looked at Li An: “Does Second Young Master have some business?” She was too lazy for pleasantries and asked Li An directly. A flash of sharpness crossed Li An’s eyes as he smiled: “Nothing much, just that my elder brother had some trouble at your residence…”

“Oh, how is the eldest young master now?” Her tone was concerned, but her gaze remained calm.

“Not well,” Li An lowered his head and sighed: “He was injured quite severely that day at your residence.”

“How unfortunate,” Jiang Ruan said. Her flat, indifferent tone somehow sounded particularly grating to Li An’s ears, as if it carried several parts amusement.

“What are eldest miss’s thoughts on this matter?” Li An raised his voice.

“It was just a misunderstanding,” Jiang Ruan smiled: “Second sister is young and doesn’t understand things, but I think your elder brother wasn’t entirely without fault either.” She cleared herself completely, speaking in an understated manner. Jiang Susu listened from the side, her anger rising: “You…” She swallowed her words back down. Earlier in the hall, she had revealed quite a bit of information to Li An, directing all blame toward Jiang Ruan.

“Just a misunderstanding?” Li An smiled: “I think it seems more like someone deliberately arranged it. Does eldest miss think it was a misunderstanding?”

“I naturally think it was a misunderstanding,” Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: “If the eldest young master has other thoughts, he can naturally seek justice from the Capital Magistrate. If that fails, the Prime Minister could criticize father during court sessions. If His Majesty wishes to seek justice for your elder brother, he would punish my father. Though I am a member of the Jiang family, I only follow the law. However, I must remind the eldest young master that regarding the initial cause, your elder brother bears half the responsibility. If the Jiang family truly faces investigation, the Li family probably won’t escape unscathed either.”

Li An stared fixedly into Jiang Ruan’s eyes. She knew that if this matter was brought to the Capital Magistrate, all of the capital would know that Li Yang had been castrated. They had completely suppressed this news, but if it really got out, given Li Yang’s temperament, he would probably prefer death to living with such shame. Moreover, if that really happened, the Prime Minister’s residence would probably need a complete reshuffle. If they couldn’t even go to the Capital Magistrate, appealing to the Emperor would be even more impossible. Jiang Ruan seemed magnanimous, but in reality, every path she mentioned was a dead end. His interest suddenly piqued as he smiled: “Then what does Miss Jiang think should be done about this matter?”

“That depends on what the Prime Minister thinks,” Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: “However, after this incident, the Prime Minister’s future prospects will depend on Second Young Master.” Her tone was calm, but her gaze was meaningful.

Li An was stunned for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands and laughed: “Interesting! Truly too interesting! For eldest miss to be so clever is truly captivating.”

Jiang Susu’s body stiffened, a flash of resentment in her eyes. She heard Jiang Ruan say calmly: “Young Master Li was also quite captivated by second sister before.”

Li An changed the subject: “I heard eldest miss’s birth mother was a young lady from General Zhao’s residence. Why have you severed ties now?”

Jiang Ruan said without changing expression: “When people die, everything turns to dust, including old friends.”

“That won’t do,” Li An seemed to be deliberately teasing her: “In a few days I’ll be following His Eighth Highness for flood control. His Majesty is very concerned about the flooding in the capital this time. I heard eldest miss’s cousin, Lord Zhao Yi, is the capital’s garrison commander. If he grasps this opportunity well this time, he might achieve great merit.”

Jiang Ruan’s fingers hidden in her sleeves tightened slightly, but her face didn’t waver at all: “That has nothing to do with me.”

“General Zhao has spent half his life in military service and received countless rewards. Now seeing people in the capital beginning to go hungry is truly worrying. If Lord Zhao, with his heart for the world, could spare some grain for the disaster victims, the people would surely be grateful to him.”

“Young Master, watch your words,” Jiang Ruan said calmly. She knew Li An was deliberately trying to anger her. Even if General Zhao’s residence had mountains of gold and silver, with so many disaster victims in the capital now and more refugees to come, without surplus grain stores, buying at high prices with gold and silver would empty even mountains of treasure.

Li An laughed heartily: “Speaking with eldest miss has been most enlightening. Since it’s getting late, I’ll return first. When we meet again in the future, I hope eldest miss can still chat and laugh as freely as today.” Though his handsome face bore a smile, his deep, dark eyes held unfathomable gloom, like they were laced with snake venom.

Jiang Ruan nodded: “Certainly.”

Li An said nothing more and turned to leave. The moment he turned around, the smile completely faded from his face, his expression terrifyingly dark. After leaving the Jiang residence, the servant beside him asked carefully: “Young Master, was it Miss Jiang who did it?”

“It was her.” Li An mounted his horse. That wet-behind-the-ears girl had eyes that revealed no emotion. Facing his questioning, she accepted it and was even challenging him!

He cracked his whip, the horse neighed loudly, and in the blink of an eye galloped away.

On the capital’s streets, there was naturally more than just this one horse. When Li An was galloping, he passed by another horse. That horse was a rare fine steed with beautiful glossy black coat. On the horse sat a person wearing a bamboo hat and cloak. They stopped at a tavern in the city, handed the horse to a servant, and went upstairs alone.

Reaching the second floor, a maid led him to an elegant seat. He pushed aside the pearl curtain and entered. The person inside saw him, and someone sitting to the side brightened: “Second brother!”

Guan Lianghan was the Grand General of the Great Jin Dynasty, brave and skilled in battle, his reputation as a war god resounding throughout the land. This time returning from campaign, he didn’t follow the main army but slipped back first on his own. He had always been an unrestrained character, and even if the Emperor knew, he would turn a blind eye. He looked at the youth who called him “second brother”—it was Mo Cong.

Mo Cong said: “Second brother, where’s the Northwest wolf cub you said you’d bring me last time?” He had long wanted such a little wolf cub to secretly raise at his residence.

“I’ll send it to you in a few days when the troops return,” Guan Lianghan was in his early thirties, built powerfully and handsome, but insisted on keeping a full beard, making him look fierce at first glance: “I see the capital’s powder and rouge has made you effeminate like a woman. Someday I’ll take you to the desert for training—you’re thin as a monkey.”

Mo Cong protested: “Second brother, what’s good about that? Look at you, only knowing how to fight all day, wasting such a big frame. Besides, what’s wrong with being thin? Third brother is also thin, and he’s perfectly fine.”

“Can you compare with your third brother?” Guan Lianghan made to hit him: “Your third brother could crush you with one finger.”

Xiao Shao, who had been sitting silently to the side, finally looked up: “Second brother.”

“I say, third brother, is this how you usually spoil this brat? Haven’t seen him for a year, and he’s even more improper.” Guan Lianghan said.

They had studied under the same master in their youth—eight martial brothers in total. Guan Lianghan ranked second, Xiao Shao third, Mo Cong seventh, and eighth was Xuan Li. When Xuan Li went up the mountain to study, he learned for half a year, but then something happened, and from then on the sect acted as if this person didn’t exist. Everyone tacitly avoided mentioning this. Outsiders knew nothing of their relationship, so they only addressed each other this way in private.

“How long are you planning to stay in the capital this time?” Xiao Shao asked.

Accustomed to Xiao Shao’s cold nature, Guan Lianghan scratched his head: “The Northwest sent people for peace negotiations. If there’s no trouble, I’ll stay in the capital for now.”

“Ah, second brother, then we can play together from now on,” Mo Cong said excitedly.

“Who the hell wants to play with you, sissy.” Guan Lianghan had always looked down on Mo Cong’s weak temperament. Mo Cong’s martial arts were also the weakest among them, basically only learning the surface.

Xiao Shao said: “Second brother, I want to ask you about someone.”

“Who?” Guan Lianghan asked.

“Jiang Xinzhi,” he asked: “Do you have this person under your command? The Jiang family’s eldest young master.”

“The Jiang family?” Guan Lianghan frowned: “The Jiang family of Jiang Quan in the capital? I don’t have anyone surnamed Jiang under my command. I don’t know about ordinary soldiers. Why are you looking for the Jiang family’s eldest young master? When did you get involved with the Jiang family? Third brother, don’t blame second brother for not warning you—the Jiang family is a muddy mess, backed by the Xia family. What kind of people are the Xia family? They’re entangled with eighth brother. Eighth brother is like stinking mud—whoever touches him is fucking unlucky!”

“I have no relationship with Xuan Li,” Xiao Shao said.

“Second brother, third brother isn’t doing this for the Eighth Prince,” Mo Cong teased: “It’s for the Jiang family’s eldest miss.”

“What Jiang family eldest miss?” Guan Lianghan said: “Doesn’t Jiang Quan only have one daughter? That so-called talented lady. Third brother, you’ve taken a fancy to her? Not really, right? When did your taste become so poor?”

Guan Lianghan hadn’t stayed in the capital for a year and knew nothing about Jiang Ruan’s affairs. Xiao Shao shot Mo Cong a cold look. Mo Cong was unmoved and touched his nose: “Third brother, Ye Feng told me everything. Didn’t you order him to investigate Miss Jiang’s affairs? What’s wrong with that?” He smiled mischievously at Guan Lianghan: “This Miss Jiang just returned to the capital during New Year. She’s the daughter of Minister Jiang’s deceased wife, extremely beautiful, but her temperament is quite fierce and very scheming, playing Second Miss Jiang and Madam Jiang around in circles.” Thinking of something, he suddenly smiled: “I’m afraid even that Second Young Master Jiang has fallen into her trap.” Mo Cong was naturally clever and had guessed some details about Jiang Chao’s situation.

Hearing Mo Cong’s words, Guan Lianghan frowned: “From what you’re saying, she’s a vicious-hearted woman?”

“What kind of person she is doesn’t matter,” Xiao Shao said calmly: “Do you really not have anyone named Jiang Xinzhi under your command?”

Seeing his serious expression, Guan Lianghan dropped his frivolous manner: “There’s no one named Jiang Xinzhi, but I know someone called Zhao Xinzhi.”

Zhao Xinzhi? Xiao Shao raised an eyebrow: “That’s him then.” Jiang Xinzhi had originally detested the Jiang family, so taking his mother’s surname after joining the army was quite possible.

“Where is he now?” Xiao Shao asked.

“I came to the capital first. He’s following with the army behind,” Guan Lianghan said: “He’s my deputy general. You’re saying he’s the Jiang family’s eldest young master?”

“Deputy general?” Mo Cong looked at Xiao Shao: “Third brother, your brother-in-law is quite impressive.”

Both Guan Lianghan and Xiao Shao treated Mo Cong as if he were invisible. Guan Lianghan said: “This Zhao Xinzhi is not to be underestimated. He started as a cook among the common soldiers and did excellent work, continuously being promoted. When he first entered the military camp, he was as thin as seventh brother, clearly a scholar who could be blown away by a gust of wind. He kept requesting to go to battle, but I didn’t agree. Later, seeing his training was good, I took him to fight. This person isn’t afraid of death. At first he didn’t dare kill, but later when he became ruthless, he lost his scholarly bookishness. I saw he was a real man, fought increasingly well, earned military merit several times, so I promoted him to deputy general. This time he specifically requested to return to the capital with me.”

Xiao Shao looked at him. Guan Lianghan continued: “If Zhao Xinzhi really is Jiang Xinzhi, then Miss Jiang is his sister. I’ve heard about Zhao Xinzhi’s sister. When I once asked him why he wasn’t afraid of death in battle, he said he wanted to earn military merit and get promoted so he’d have status to protect his sister.” He paused, looking at Mo Cong: “But when Zhao Xinzhi talked about his sister, he said she was pure and lovely, gentle and compliant, bullied everywhere. How did she become a poisonous woman in your mouth?”

Mo Cong spat out his water, his expression strange: “Gentle and compliant? Pure and lovely? Bullied everywhere?” He grabbed Xiao Shao’s arm: “Third brother, I think you must have the wrong person. That Zhao Xinzhi definitely isn’t the same person as Jiang Xinzhi. No matter how I look at Miss Jiang, I can’t see someone who would be bullied. It would be good if she doesn’t bully others.”

Xiao Shao pulled his hand away: “What kind of person do you think Zhao Xinzhi is?”

Seeing Xiao Shao’s serious expression, Guan Lianghan replied earnestly: “If he really is Jiang Quan’s son as you say, he’s still different from Jiang Quan. Whether he was a scholar before or is now a deputy general, he’s still a real man.”

“Is there anything special about him,” Xiao Shao’s cool eyes held deep emotion: “For instance, prophecy.”

“Prophecy?” Guan Lianghan was stunned: “Third brother, you’re not ill, are you? What prophecy? If he could prophesy, we’d win every battle. What would we need me as a general for?”

Hearing Xiao Shao’s words, Mo Cong’s expression shifted: “Third brother, have you discovered something?”

“It’s nothing,” Xiao Shao said calmly: “His Majesty has eighth brother managing flood control and appointed Li An as well.”

“Li An? What’s he coming back for?” Mo Cong said. He was very hostile toward Li An. Li An was extremely intelligent but didn’t use it for proper purposes. Among the noble young masters with some acquaintance, who hadn’t been schemed against by him in childhood? Mo Cong was no exception. Moreover, because Mo Cong was also clever, Li An had often set traps for him when they were young. As Li An grew older, his skills at secretly harming people became increasingly refined, and his methods increasingly vicious.

“What does His Majesty mean by this? Is he favoring eighth brother?” Guan Lianghan said. Such words would be treasonous if heard by outsiders—discussing imperial family matters was punishable by death—but Guan Lianghan didn’t care. If Xuan Li achieved merit from this flood control, his prestige in court and among the people would increase, and popular support would grow. Conversely, the Crown Prince’s position would become increasingly precarious. The mind of the one on the dragon throne in the nine-tiered palace had always been unfathomable to these subjects, and in recent years had become even more inscrutable. Truth mixed with lies, lies with truth—probably even Xuan Li himself wasn’t clear about the Emperor’s intentions.

“If he really favored Xuan Li, the Crown Prince wouldn’t have lived until now,” Xuan Li said coldly.

“Third brother, what do we do now?”

“Wait.” Xiao Shao toyed with the dagger in his hand, saying calmly: “Li An’s sudden return to the capital isn’t coincidental. I want to see what the Li family really intends to do.”