Below the bamboo pavilion, subordinates hid Princess He Yi’s corpse and cleaned up the bloodstains on the ground. Inside the bamboo pavilion, Xuan Li and Xuan Lang sat at the table, neither appearing as relaxed as they had moments before.
“I only want to know how she found out about this place,” Xuan Li stared at Xuan Lang.
Though this location was within the deep palace, the twists and secrets within were not something everyone could glimpse. If one walked from other routes, they would certainly encounter guarding soldiers. For Princess He Yi to walk in unobstructed all the way, she definitely hadn’t encountered any guards. This could only mean she had taken the route used by their own people. Yet Princess He Yi obviously couldn’t be one of their own—there must be a traitor among them.
This place was extremely secret. Usually when Xuan Li and Xuan Lang had matters to discuss, they would meet here. So when they encountered Princess He Yi today, both had almost simultaneously developed murderous intent. Though this place appeared to be a remote, abandoned consort’s courtyard, if others in the palace knew they had appeared here together, it would surely arouse suspicion.
Xuan Lang was startled: “Eighth Brother, you don’t suspect me, do you?” He seemed unsure how to explain: “I swear I didn’t—how could I tell her such things?”
“I didn’t say it was you,” Xuan Li waved his hand. “However, are there any others around you who know of this place?”
Xuan Lang shook his head: “Apart from the few guards Eighth Brother provided, no one knows of this place. I also find it very strange that He Yi suddenly found her way here. If we say she came here by accident, it’s far too coincidental.” He paused, a flash of annoyance crossing his face: “We should have asked clearly how she got here.”
Unfortunately, his emotions had spiraled out of control earlier. In his moment of impulse, he had killed Princess He Yi, and now felt some regret and fear. But there was no turning back once the arrow was shot—since the person was already dead, it was too late to say anything.
“This matter certainly seems suspicious,” Xuan Li narrowed his eyes. “He Yi’s sudden disappearance will surely arouse suspicion in the palace. To avoid having suspicion fall on ourselves, there’s only one method.”
“What method?” Xuan Lang was puzzled.
“Redirect the disaster eastward,” Xuan Li smiled slightly. “Princess He Yi was killed by someone, but she can’t have been killed by us. Whoever in this palace has enmity with her—let them have killed her. If we can use this to remove a thorn in our side, she will have died a worthwhile death.”
Xuan Lang’s eyes lit up. Indeed, hiding Princess He Yi’s corpse in the palace was ultimately unsafe, and secretly transporting the body out of the palace wouldn’t be easy either. At this point, they could only find a scapegoat. However, this scapegoat couldn’t be chosen randomly. It would be best to kill two birds with one stone—both rid themselves of this hot potato and eliminate a major threat. As Xuan Lang thought about it, a cold figure suddenly surfaced in his mind.
“I know,” he grew excited. “Eighth Brother, I have an excellent candidate.”
“Oh?” Xuan Li’s gaze flashed: “Tell me about it.”
“This method, I guarantee it will satisfy Eighth Brother even more than finding a scapegoat. We can use He Yi to fulfill one of Eighth Brother’s wishes.”
Xuan Lang chuckled softly, casually grabbing a piece of paper from the table and beginning to write.
…
Tianzhu returned to the Princess Palace, set down the flower basket in her hands—indeed filled with flower petals—then poured all the petals into a wooden basin and began washing them carefully.
“What time is it and you still have the mood to do this here,” Lu Zhu snatched away the wooden basin, grabbed her sleeve and headed toward the room. “Miss is still waiting for your report.”
Tianzhu shrugged. As a subordinate, she naturally had to fulfill her master’s instructions. Besides guiding the way, gathering these flower petals was also part of Jiang Ruan’s orders. She couldn’t neglect one duty for another—big matters and small matters were all tasks assigned by her master.
Inside the room, Jiang Ruan was sorting the flower petals she had picked earlier. Empress Dowager Yide had been in good spirits recently and specifically requested her to learn to blend several bottles of fragrance. In her previous life, thanks to Xuan Li, she had learned some of this while in the palace. It wasn’t difficult, and now it proved convenient for her actions.
“Miss, I’ve guided the way,” Tianzhu said. “I personally saw Princess He Yi enter the garden. After waiting an hour and not seeing her come out, I did as Miss instructed and went to Jinzhu Garden to gather some flower petals.”
Jiang Ruan had previously instructed Lu Zhu to inquire about Princess He Yi’s recent activities in Shufang Palace. Once they learned that Princess He Yi had left Shufang Palace early today, they immediately had Tianzhu dress as a palace maid, carry a flower basket, and personally “encounter” Princess He Yi. Then Tianzhu would allow herself to be “followed,” subtly pointing the way for Princess He Yi.
She hadn’t explained to her maids why they needed to do this. Lu Zhu and the others didn’t understand the reason, only vaguely sensing this was an extremely important matter. Only Tianzhu, being skilled in martial arts, understood when Jiang Ruan called her into the room and gave her a map. Walking the route, she discovered the map’s ingenious nature.
The garden Jiang Ruan had her lead Princess He Yi to was clearly an extremely secret, confidential location. The route Jiang Ruan had her take avoided all the guards. Such a garden appeared open and aboveboard, but actually entering it was very difficult. There were multiple branching paths, with more branches within branches. Truly reaching the destination was extremely challenging—take one wrong turn and you’d encounter guards who would report and alert the master within. If some important figure managed to get news and enter by chance, inside was merely a garden with no other leverage.
This was actually a very bold secret room—bold in that it was so brazenly exposed before everyone’s eyes, secret in that this garden in plain sight could basically only be entered by its master. Jiang Ruan obviously already knew of this garden’s location and even knew the most convenient route. Since she led Princess He Yi to this place, the danger there was imaginable. If they were allies, Jiang Ruan wouldn’t need to use such methods. This meant Jiang Ruan’s strategy of borrowing a knife to kill was extremely brilliant.
Tianzhu didn’t understand how Jiang Ruan knew of this secret room and passage. She felt her new master harbored many secrets. She thought perhaps even the Brocade Guard agents responsible for the palace’s hidden areas didn’t know the complete routes.
Lu Zhu couldn’t help asking: “Miss, why exactly wait one hour? What if Tianzhu returned before the hour was up?”
“One hour is sufficient,” Jiang Ruan’s gaze remained on the flower petals before her. After washing, the petals appeared even more vibrant. She said: “Killing takes only the time of one incense stick. The remaining time is merely for cleanup.”
“Killing?” Lu Zhu was startled, then covered her mouth, secretly cursing her loss of composure before asking quietly: “Princess He Yi… was killed?”
Jiang Ruan glanced at her: “Given her temperament, since she hasn’t emerged by now, she certainly has no life left.” She had known this from the beginning—people who entered that place, unless they were allies, never emerged unscathed.
Lu Zhu looked at Jiang Ruan, then at Tianzhu, suddenly understanding: “Miss did this intentionally. Miss already knew Princess He Yi would die if she went in, so you had Tianzhu guide the way?”
“Yes.” Jiang Ruan placed each type of flower petal into wooden boxes, turning to look at her: “I calculated everything in advance.”
Lu Zhu couldn’t describe the feeling in her heart. For a moment, she found her own miss quite frightening. Jiang Ruan received her faintly fearful gaze but merely smiled indifferently, which instead made Lu Zhu feel somewhat guilty. She thought that Princess He Yi constantly came to trouble Jiang Ruan, sometimes even wanting to kill her. Striking first was actually good, preventing future troubles. Lu Zhu had an excellent mentality and quickly adjusted her earlier unease, saying to Jiang Ruan: “But how did Miss know the princess would die if she went to that place? What kind of place is it?”
What kind of place? Jiang Ruan paused slightly, her thoughts drifting to distant memories.
Xuan Li was someone who considered himself elegant and refined. Even when discussing conspiracies, he would certainly seek beautiful, scenic locations. For instance, that garden was something Xuan Li took pride in.
Because it was both bold and ingenious, difficult for ordinary people to find. In her previous life, Xuan Li had taken her there several times. Thinking about it now, regarding a chess piece, Xuan Li was willing to invest effort. He had no airs, acted considerately and gently, even showing her his secret places, making it difficult for her not to trust him.
That place was Xuan Li’s secret location where he often met with Xuan Lang. When Xuan Li brought her there several times, they always took the allies’ route. Perhaps thinking she was just a woman with unremarkable memory, he hadn’t paid much attention. He didn’t know that she had grown up on a mountain estate in childhood. Because she needed to identify which mountain paths had medicinal herbs that could be sold for money, she was extremely familiar with recognizing routes and directions. Even walking just once was enough to memorize everything perfectly, let alone several times.
In this reborn life, those memories stained with blood vengeance became even clearer. She had carefully recorded with pen almost everything that could be useful, including Xuan Li’s secret palace chamber.
She had long drawn the map, thinking it would be useful someday. She hadn’t expected that day to come so quickly. She knew that after Princess He Yi learned of Xiao Shao’s marriage decree, she would certainly devise some scheme. The Princess Palace offered no opportunity, only Jinzhu Garden presented a chance to exploit. Having Tianzhu pretend to go to Jinzhu Garden and lead Princess He Yi to the secret room—once discovered by Xuan Li, he would certainly develop murderous intent.
Even if Xuan Li didn’t develop killing intent, what kind of person was Princess He Yi? Arrogant and domineering, looking down on everyone. She might fear Xuan Li somewhat, but would certainly speak harshly to Xuan Lang. Xuan Lang had endured humiliation for so many years, and seeing great achievements about to be realized, would inevitably feel arrogant. Moreover, Princess He Yi’s existence would forever remind Xuan Lang of past humiliations. Under such provocation, Xuan Lang would certainly add fuel to the fire.
Even if Princess He Yi didn’t want to die, it would be very difficult to avoid.
This matter appeared simple but was actually full of dangers at every turn. One careless step and everything would be lost. From Xuan Li’s arrogance to Princess He Yi’s fury, then to Xuan Lang’s gloom—every step required considering changes in human hearts. If she hadn’t lived in the palace for so many years in her previous life and grasped these people’s thoughts with absolute precision, how would she dare set such a trap?
Princess He Yi didn’t die by Xuan Li’s hand, nor by Xuan Lang’s hand, nor by her hand, but by the human heart itself. Human hearts are strange—good and evil separated by a single thought. Like Princess He Yi, she probably never imagined that her final path to death would be guided by an unknown palace maid, and that maid was carefully arranged by her enemy.
Jiang Ruan lowered her eyes indifferently. She had witnessed the methods of Princess He Yi and Consort Shu many years ago. In this life, they showed no progress whatsoever. Even with eyes closed, she knew what they were planning.
However, if it were other matters, she might let it pass. But when it concerned Jiang Xinzhi, even having Consort Shu’s entire family buried with him would be too light a punishment, let alone a mere Princess He Yi.
Outside, Lu Zhu glanced at Tianzhu and asked: “Should you tell Prince Xiao about this matter?”
Since Xiao Shao was very concerned about Jiang Ruan’s affairs, now that Jiang Ruan had personally resolved Princess He Yi, there might be future troubles. Having Xiao Shao’s protection would be much more convenient.
Tianzhu shook her head: “Miss instructed me not to tell.”
“So you simply won’t tell?” Lu Zhu asked curiously. Though Tianzhu respectfully called Jiang Ruan “Miss,” she was actually Xiao Shao’s subordinate and usually had to report everything to Xiao Shao. This response was unexpected.
“Miss is my master. I only follow her instructions,” Tianzhu’s expression remained unchanged. Ever since Jiang Ruan had risked danger to cover for Xiao Shao again, she had truly accepted Jiang Ruan as her master and no longer harbored other thoughts.
Lu Zhu’s eyes darted around, genuinely happy for Jiang Ruan. Regardless, having Tianzhu won over and loyal only to her was a good thing.
Tianzhu looked away, but her mind was contemplating. More importantly, as a subordinate, besides protecting her master, she needed to trust her master sufficiently. Xiao Shao couldn’t take care of everything everywhere. Moreover, with the military campaign imminent, Jiang Ruan would eventually face these dangerous situations alone. Prince Jinying’s mansion didn’t need a weak female master—she had to be strong enough to stand beside Xiao Shao.
This matter might well be a test, depending on how Jiang Ruan handled it.
…
Thousands of miles away from the capital, on a mountain estate, in a three-courtyard farmhouse, the innermost room was filthy and dilapidated, as if no one had entered for a long time.
A thin woman carrying a basket hurried through the courtyard, kicking open the door of the innermost room as she passed.
The room was filled with a putrid, damp, rotten stench. The woman lit a lamp, revealing a huddled figure inside. Seeing the light, the person seemed extremely afraid, quickly covering their face with both hands and lowering their head, as if terrified the light might reflect into their eyes.
“What are you hiding from?” the woman said irritably. “Damn it, time to eat.”
She heavily placed the basket’s contents on the table, tucked the basket away, and without thinking began cursing: “This old woman runs around busy all day and still has to take care of you, this useless person. What’s worth guarding about such a broken person? The silver’s not bad though. That Jiang family’s legitimate daughter used to give three taels of silver monthly when she lived in my courtyard. Though you give five taels, you’re someone who can’t lift with hands or carry with shoulders, can’t help me embroider or pick herbs. Calculating it this way, this old woman is still at a loss!”
Upon hearing “Jiang family’s legitimate daughter,” the person on the ground seemed to tremble violently, suddenly raising their head to reveal a filthy face. The skeletal body seemed to have only a thin layer of skin and flesh remaining, emanating a stench of filth throughout, clearly unwashed for who knows how long. Only the eyes faintly retained traces of former charm—this was Xia Yan.
If anyone passed by and was told this person was Xia Yan, they certainly wouldn’t believe it. This woman was completely filthy and wretched, like a beggar, bearing no resemblance to the former capital’s foremost talented woman, the gentle and virtuous minister’s wife.
Yet Xia Yan still struggled desperately toward the woman, mumbling something incoherently.
“Hmph,” the woman’s face flashed with jealousy as she looked mockingly at Xia Yan, speaking coldly: “But now she’s truly glorious, even received a princess title. Who would have thought that when she lived in my house, her life was worse than pigs and dogs, yet now she has such prospects.”
This woman was none other than Chen Fang, Zhang Lan’s youngest daughter. Ever since Wang Yushi came to the estate to clear Jiang Ruan’s name, Chen Zhao had been imprisoned and still hadn’t been released. To help Chen Zhao in prison, Zhang Lan sold all the family property and land. That gambling addict husband was also beaten to death for owing money. Zhang Lan later suffered a stroke and became paralyzed at home. Chen Fang, a young woman with no choice, married a widower from the east of the village. The widower constantly beat and scolded her, so she gradually became a fierce shrew in such an environment.
Time passed swiftly, as if everything had reversed. Xia Yan probably never imagined that the servants who once made things difficult for Jiang Ruan were now making things difficult for her. She never thought her current life would be even worse than Jiang Ruan’s had been then.
Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Xia Yan sat dazed and collapsed in place. She had been sent to this estate by Chen Zhao under the pretext of recuperating, thinking it was an escape to heaven, not knowing this was the beginning of hell. Initially, she tried threatening Chen Fang to treat her better, but this estate was extremely remote. How could she alone fight against Chen Fang? Before this crude shrew, all of Xia Yan’s scheming and methods were useless. She excelled at fighting and surviving in the inner quarters but couldn’t match this stupid woman. Chen Fang stole her jewelry, forced her to work, gave her the worst food, and made her live in the most broken room. All the tactics once used against Jiang Ruan were now used against her, even worse.
As Xia Yan remained stunned, Chen Fang looked at her impatiently, thinking this woman was truly annoying. That official had said she couldn’t be allowed to die yet. But judging by that official’s manner, this woman would eventually die anyway—just a matter of sooner or later.
Without waiting for Xia Yan to say anything else, Chen Fang turned and left the room, slamming the door shut. The room immediately fell back into darkness. Xia Yan stared with lifeless eyes as a tear slowly trickled from the corner of her eye.