Qi Feng’s words proved to be correct. Before long, the Tianjin Kingdom was defeated at Daye and surrendered to the Great Jin Dynasty, bowing their heads in submission. That this war could have lasted so long was truly beyond everyone’s expectations. The Tianjin Kingdom was nothing more than a small territory, yet somehow it had developed the strength to contend with the Great Jin Dynasty, which was truly thought-provoking. However, no matter what, aside from serving as a warning to the Great Jin Dynasty, it ultimately ended in defeat. The envoys brought surrender documents and would return to the capital together with the triumphant Great Jin army to have an audience with the emperor. There were all sorts of rumors flying about territorial concessions and war reparations, with each person having their own version of events, making it impossible to know which news was actually true.
The journey back to the capital from the frontier was long and arduous, so they wouldn’t return for quite some time. Even so, everyone in Prince Jinying’s mansion began bustling about with preparations. Steward Lin was organizing daily what should be done after Xiao Shao returned to the mansion, with the most important matter being Xiao Shao and Jiang Ruan’s grand wedding. Before Xiao Shao left the capital, the Empress Dowager had issued an imperial edict stating that the marriage would take place as soon as he returned triumphant. Now that Jiang Ruan had also completed her mourning period, her assumption of the position of the young madam of Prince Jinying’s mansion was just around the corner. Steward Lin had been planning since receiving the imperial edict a year ago. Jiang Ruan had thought everything was already well-organized, but who knew that Steward Lin was still fretting over this matter, paying attention to every minute detail from the crystal beads glued onto the invitation cards to the carved flower patterns on the ivory chopsticks used at the guest banquet.
Lu Zhu circled around Steward Lin, making a pleading gesture: “Steward Lin, this dessert menu has already been revised dozens of times back and forth. I truly can’t think of anything else. Please spare me, I’m just a servant.”
Steward Lin looked at Lu Zhu seriously and said: “Since you serve so closely by the young madam’s side, you also know the people the young madam usually meets. This wedding banquet cannot be handled carelessly. The more exquisite it is, the more it shows our mansion’s respect for the young madam. This gives the young madam face, and you, as the young madam’s servant, can also feel proud. Moreover, since you’ve entered the mansion gates with the young madam, you’re part of the mansion now and should consider yourself one of us. How can a young lady be so impatient? Come, look, how about making this opening porridge in a light Jiangnan style?”
Lu Zhu rolled her eyes and simply walked toward the room without looking back, completely ignoring Steward Lin.
Returning to the room, she found Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi surrounding Jiang Ruan doing something, with even Tianzhu standing aside watching. Lu Zhu asked curiously: “Eh, what’s this?”
On the soft couch in front of Jiang Ruan, something was spread diagonally. Only when Lu Zhu got closer could she see clearly, and she couldn’t help but exclaim: “What a beautiful wedding dress!”
When a woman marries, her wedding dress is usually embroidered by herself, and she begins making it several years in advance. The craftsmanship of the wedding dress also reflects the woman’s needlework skills. As a girl embroiders her wedding dress, her mood is naturally sweet. However, when Jiang Ruan received the Empress Dowager’s edict, the timing was too rushed. Even after moving to Prince Jinying’s mansion, she thought about many things daily but not about the wedding dress. With time being too tight, she simply didn’t embroider one, planning to have a clothing shop in the capital make one when the time came, as long as it didn’t disgrace Prince Jinying’s mansion’s status. Who knew that the shopkeeper from Baoyue Tower would come to deliver a wedding dress today, saying it was commissioned by Xiao Shao before he left the capital. Prince Jinying was someone of great importance – accepting this order meant the shop could live comfortably for three years. The shopkeeper hired the finest embroiderers and put in tremendous effort, finally completing it for Jiang Ruan before Xiao Shao’s return.
Jiang Ruan herself was puzzled – when the dress was being made, she wasn’t aware of it, so how did Xiao Shao know her measurements? However, this wasn’t the time to worry about such things. Although she knew Baoyue Tower usually made clothes for the palace ladies, when she actually saw this wedding dress, even Jiang Ruan couldn’t help but gasp.
The wedding dress was entirely bright red, but not an ordinary red – it was like clouds in the sky slowly suffusing into the clouds, warm and soft, brilliantly beautiful beyond compare. The fabric was silk double-nest cloud-pattern aurora silk, embroidered with gold and silver thread phoenix and bird patterns paying homage to the phoenix. The gold and silver threads were extremely fine, with every stitch and thread embroidered with exquisite precision. The phoenix birds stretched their necks in flight and song, while a colorful phoenix’s tail swayed gracefully below. The bottom was adorned with multicolored precious stones that almost made one dizzy and mesmerized with their gentle swaying and glittering.
The phoenix crown was also crafted with exquisite delicacy, not heavy at all, comfortable to wear without feeling burdensome. The emerald bird feathers shimmered with light, refracting intoxicating colors. The phoenix crown held pearl and jewel string ornaments in its beak, with golden dragons, jade phoenixes, and precious stones complementing each other in magnificent splendor, achieving a level of craftsmanship beyond ordinary artisans. On the phoenix crown, golden dragons soared and leaped above jade clouds, while jade phoenixes spread their wings and flew among precious stone flowers and leaves. The most captivating was the pearl held in the central jade phoenix’s beak – crystal clear and lustrous throughout, with a faintly transparent luster that could emit brilliant radiance with the wearer’s movement. Wearing such a phoenix crown would make one’s entire body shimmer with golden light.
Not only that, there were also ornate hairpins and swaying ornaments, double-ring gold earrings, matching heart-knot locks, and joy shoes embroidered with mandarin ducks. This complete set was something that even though Jiang Ruan had witnessed the magnificent wealth of the palace in her previous life and had seen the empress’s court robes, she couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned.
A woman’s wedding dress bears all her hopes for the future, and she would use all her strength to make it more beautiful. In this life, she didn’t have particular feelings for beautiful things, yet Xiao Shao had been so thoughtful. Lu Zhu stood there with her mouth agape in amazement, staring in a daze. After a long while, she murmured: “The young master is truly generous. This is like making the young lady wear an entire Minister’s mansion on her body.”
Lian Qiao burst out laughing: “What nonsense are you talking about, wearing an entire Minister’s mansion on her body?” She glanced at the wedding dress that was so exquisite it seemed otherworldly, laughing even more joyfully: “How could a Minister’s mansion afford to buy this wedding dress?”
Ever since Jiang Quan’s attitude toward Jiang Ruan had grown increasingly cold, not even actively inquiring about Jiang Ruan once within a year, the several maids by Jiang Ruan’s side had all grown cold-hearted toward Jiang Quan. Previously, they had thought that someday Jiang Quan would see Jiang Ruan’s goodness – after all, they were father and daughter, and blood relations couldn’t be severed easily. Now, however, they no longer wanted to mention him. In any case, Jiang Ruan would soon marry into Prince Jinying’s mansion and become a member of Prince Jinying’s household, so why concern themselves with those irrelevant people? Without this consideration, Lian Qiao no longer spoke politely about the Jiang mansion.
Everyone laughed together again. Jiang Ruan’s gaze fell on the wedding dress, and she couldn’t help but shake her head. If she actually wore this dress out, who knows what kind of sensation it would cause. This wedding dress from Xiao Shao was worth the entire fortune of a fifth-rank official in the capital. She estimated that after the wedding, even if she didn’t earn the reputation of a country-destroying enchantress, the label of a beauty who brings calamity would be inescapable.
Just as they were talking, someone came to report from outside: “Young Madam, Young Master Xia and Young Master Qi have come to see you.”
Jiang Ruan had Bai Zhi and the others put away the wedding dress and walked out. As soon as she stepped outside, she indeed saw Xia Qing and Qi Feng sitting at the stone table in the courtyard. Seeing her approach, Qi Feng smiled teasingly: “I heard from the mansion’s servants that Baoyue Tower’s wedding dress has arrived. Fifth Brother and I were just making a bet.”
“Betting on what?” Jiang Ruan smiled slightly.
“Betting on how much silver Third Brother’s wedding dress is worth.” Xia Qing’s baby face was particularly endearing, and when he spoke seriously like this, he appeared even more adorable: “Fourth Brother guesses one hundred thousand taels, while I think it’s fifty thousand taels.”
These two were actually so bored as to bet on such a matter. Jiang Ruan felt somewhat embarrassed, thinking that Xiao Shao’s group of senior and junior brothers certainly had lively personalities. She wondered how Xiao Shao had developed into such a stuffy character. Just then, she heard Xia Qing’s clear voice again: “But whether it’s fifty thousand taels or one hundred thousand taels, Third Brother is really too wasteful. How can one piece of clothing be so expensive? If that silver were used to open several more charity halls, who knows how many people could be helped.”
“Mind your own business,” Qi Feng knocked Xia Qing’s head hard: “Third Brother’s silver wasn’t earned by you, and this Prince Jinying’s mansion wasn’t built by you either. People can use their silver however they want. What’s wrong with Third Sister-in-law wearing a wedding dress? If I were to marry a wife like Third Sister-in-law, I would certainly spare no expense to find her clothes worthy of her!” As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Feng suddenly realized what he was saying. His voice paused, and he looked at Jiang Ruan somewhat uneasily.
Jiang Ruan acted as if she hadn’t heard, seemingly thinking about other things. Qi Feng’s eyes dimmed. Xia Qing rubbed his head and complained: “Fourth Brother, you’re increasingly taking Third Sister-in-law’s side. She’s not even your wife – why are you protecting her so fiercely? What about the brotherhood between fellow disciples?”
“You—” Qi Feng really wanted to give this thick-headed junior brother a good beating. But turning around, he saw Jiang Ruan’s contemplative expression and slowed his movements.
At this moment, Jiang Ruan was thinking that it was almost time for her to marry Xiao Shao. In this life, she was unwilling to repeat the mistakes of her previous life, so every action was aimed at avoiding walking the same path as before. In her last life, she never managed to become someone’s legitimate wife. Palace consorts might seem glorious on the surface, but they were still just the emperor’s concubines. Becoming the young madam of Prince Jinying’s mansion was equivalent to having a solid backing. Xiao Shao’s power could make many things much more convenient for her, but most importantly, she could completely escape Xuan Li’s shadow. In this lifetime, in matters of love, she had finally severed the last connection with Xuan Li. From now on, she would be a woman of the Xiao family, not the Xuan family.
She came back to her senses, looked at Qi Feng and Xia Qing, and smiled slightly: “In any case, Xiao Shao is returning, and my brother is also returning. The originally stable situation in the capital will likely change again soon. Don’t be careless recently. I’m not worried about Young Master Qi, but Young Master Xia…”
Xia Qing protested indignantly: “What’s wrong with me? Third Sister-in-law, how can you treat us differently?”
“You’re kind-hearted and gentle in temperament, which makes you vulnerable to being used by others.” Jiang Ruan smiled: “It’s better to keep your guard up. Before Xiao Shao and the others return to the capital, everyone should be careful.”
Xia Qing and Qi Feng looked at each other, shrugged, and said: “Alright, the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother. I’ll listen to Third Sister-in-law.”
Lu Zhu giggled quietly on the side.
…
Wind rose in the night. Bai Zhi got up to close the window and was surprised to discover that it had already started to drizzle lightly outside. The cold winter night was already freezing, and when those raindrops hit a person, one immediately felt the chill. Bai Zhi closed the window and looked at Jiang Ruan, who was still sitting at the table reading: “Miss, you should rest early. Be careful not to catch cold when the rain gets heavier.”
Jiang Ruan nodded, closed her book, and had just walked to the door when she heard a sound from outside – something like an explosive crack. She frowned. At this hour, where would there be firecrackers? She had always had an uncanny intuition about danger. Immediately putting on an outer coat, she stood up and was about to walk out of the courtyard to take a look.
Seeing that Jiang Ruan had made up her mind, Bai Zhi didn’t try to stop her. After all, there were hidden guards outside protecting her, so nothing serious could happen. As soon as Jiang Ruan walked into the courtyard, she saw a young servant hurrying in, his tone somewhat anxious: “Young Madam, there’s a group of people outside claiming to be government officials arresting assassins. This servant didn’t dare open the door and came to ask for the Young Madam’s instructions.”
The servants in Prince Jinying’s mansion were all carefully selected and weren’t stupid. They knew it was very strange for government soldiers claiming to arrest assassins to appear so suddenly this late at night, so being cautious was wise. Jiang Ruan smiled: “It’s nothing. Arresting assassins also requires official seals and tokens. Since you refused to open the door, it means they didn’t produce these two items. Since they don’t have these two items, they can’t prove their identity. Prince Jinying’s mansion isn’t some humble household, and even humble households can’t be barged into at will. Just ignore these people – you did very well.”
Being praised by Jiang Ruan made the young servant blush a bit, but he immediately put on a worried expression: “Young Madam is right, but those people came with fierce momentum. This servant could hear from inside the gate that their force is considerable. If we don’t open the door, I’m afraid they won’t give up easily.”
As soon as he finished speaking, as if to confirm his words, a guard from the gate hurried over: “Young Madam, this is bad! Those people have already started forcing their way into the mansion. This subordinate took a look – there are too many of them, and they all carry bows and arrows. They come with ill intentions and are extremely dangerous.”
Steward Lin also hurried over from the outer courtyard. Seeing Jiang Ruan, he breathed a sigh of relief. Now everyone in Prince Jinying’s mansion, from top to bottom, treated Jiang Ruan as the legitimate mistress. Whenever something happened, as long as Jiang Ruan was present, they would bypass Steward Lin and report directly to her. All of Steward Lin’s usual jovial manner had been put away as he said seriously: “Young Madam, this place is too dangerous. Let the Imperial Guards left by the master escort you away from here later. The master’s token is still here and should be able to protect you.”
If Prince Jinying’s mansion had become a target, and tonight the opponents dared to be so brazen, they must have made excellent preparations. It wasn’t safe for Jiang Ruan to stay here. No matter what, the young madam of Prince Jinying’s mansion always came first.
Jiang Ruan pondered for a moment and shook her head: “No.”
Everyone was shocked by this response. Lu Zhu said anxiously: “Miss, this isn’t the time to be stubborn. Since those people dare to raid the mansion at night, they must have some backup plan. What if something terrible happens?”
Generally speaking, Prince Jinying’s mansion was like an impregnable fortress. No one would think to force their way into Prince Jinying’s mansion. At this critical juncture, just when Xiao Shao was about to return triumphant to the capital, someone had brought troops. They were even using military tactics, which meant the outside was probably completely surrounded, and there was no way to send messages to other places. For the opponents to use such obvious methods, they were undoubtedly seeking two things: first, lives; second, other things in Prince Jinying’s mansion.
Lives were easy to understand – currently, this Prince Jinying’s mansion only had one additional person: herself. As for other things… Jiang Ruan looked at Steward Lin: “How many guards are there in this mansion in total?”
“A total of one hundred and eighty guards. The young servants and maids – every servant has some martial arts skills,” Steward Lin said. “But compared to the people outside, this is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. They’re using bows and arrows, and their troops are organized – they’re practically using military methods against our single mansion. Young Madam, this place is truly dangerous. The young master should have left some token before departing. If the Young Madam insists on staying, how about summoning the Imperial Guards to protect you?”
“No.” Jiang Ruan firmly refused: “Since these people dare to be so arrogant in coming here, they might have other intentions. I’m afraid they want to test the Imperial Guards’ depth and see if there are any secrets in this mansion.”
Steward Lin was startled and looked up at Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan stared at him intently. Her usually smiling and charming eyes actually carried a sharp edge. Steward Lin felt a chill in his heart under that gaze and no longer dared to hide anything, opening his mouth: “There are. The young master handles official documents in the mansion, and some secret matters are also discussed in the royal mansion. Although this old servant doesn’t know the details clearly, I know there should be quite a few important things in the mansion. Although they’re well-protected, it’s hard to avoid giving others leverage.”
Jiang Ruan’s heart sank as she said coldly: “What an excellent plan to kill several birds with one stone.”
“What does this mean?” Steward Lin asked.
Jiang Ruan quickly turned around and walked toward the main hall of the mansion: “It seems like a reckless action, yet it happens at this precise timing. If the Imperial Guards are called out, they can discover Prince Jinying’s mansion’s true strength. If we abandon the mansion and flee, they might find secrets within the mansion. If they want to take lives, it’s even easier. They’re simply bandits, but clever bandits.” Xuan Li, indeed not so easily dealt with. Now that he’s making his move, it’s this aggressive. She walked quickly, her steps never pausing, her long fox fur cloak drawing a gorgeous arc in the night: “Time is of the essence. Old Lin, summon all the mansion’s personnel to assemble in the front hall. Tonight, no one is allowed to leave Prince Jinying’s mansion even one step!”
Steward Lin was startled by the ruthless determination in Jiang Ruan’s words and immediately replied: “Yes!”
Steward Lin moved quickly indeed. In less than half an incense stick’s time, everyone had assembled in the front hall of Prince Jinying’s mansion. Jiang Ruan stood in the courtyard of the front hall, in front of everyone, with Steward Lin beside her and Jin Er and several other hidden guards silently following behind her. All eyes were focused on this future young madam of Prince Jinying’s mansion. Tonight the situation was perilous, yet this woman refused to flee alone – this action alone had already won the favor of Prince Jinying’s mansion servants. Not one of the capital’s young ladies wasn’t delicate and pampered. To have such courage was already admirable. However, if she had courage but no wisdom, she couldn’t bring good fortune to Prince Jinying’s mansion either. So everyone wanted to see what plan Jiang Ruan could devise.
Jiang Ruan stood before everyone. The deeper the black night became, the more brilliant her beauty appeared. In such an extremely dangerous situation, her eyes held compelling allure, her lips bore a faint smile, maintaining complete composure, yet everyone sensed the faint killing intent emanating from her. She said: “Everyone, I needn’t say much. Tonight someone wants to break into Prince Jinying’s mansion. I don’t know what their purpose is, but they certainly come with ill intentions. You are all people of Prince Jinying’s mansion. Now, someone wants to enter your courtyard, possibly kill your relatives, steal your treasures, and perhaps even frame you as assassins.”
She spoke coldly, as if discussing events that would happen to someone else’s family, but those below felt shocked upon hearing this. Guessing what might happen and actually hearing the facts stated by someone else were two different things. People’s expressions changed slightly.
“Your master entrusted Prince Jinying’s mansion to me before leaving, and I promised to guard its peace. Every plant and tree in this mansion may be closely related to the mansion’s future, so we cannot be careless. Therefore, tonight is the same for me. I want to fulfill my promise to your master. I will not abandon this mansion and leave. I am with you. If bandits come and you don’t leave, I won’t leave either. I will stay here until the very last moment.”
Everyone stared at her in bewilderment. Perhaps some didn’t understand how Jiang Ruan, as a precious princess and the mansion’s mistress, would willingly stay here. Knowing this was a conspiracy yet refusing to retreat, those beautiful eyes clearly held the look of a hungry wolf – solitary courage and extreme coldness. She was disregarding her own life.
Tianzhu stood quietly beside Jiang Ruan. From the moment she began serving Jiang Ruan, she understood that her master was fundamentally the same as the Imperial Guards in certain respects – no matter how the outside world changed, her inner core remained strong and resilient.
Jiang Ruan commanded coldly: “Now, I order you in my capacity as Princess Jinying: all young servants and maids, return to your rooms immediately and hide wherever you can. All mansion guards, concentrate here and focus on protecting Xiao Shao’s study and bedroom. If anyone breaks in, kill them without exception. Jin Er, find a way to break out of the mansion – if there’s a secret passage, even better. Set fire to all the buildings around Prince Jinying’s mansion. Jin San, Jin Si, you two fire signal flares. The Imperial Guards cannot show themselves, but the Zhao family can.” Her eyes were icy cold, her tone unfathomable: “If they want to set foot here, they’d better see if they have the ability first. They want to test Prince Jinying’s mansion’s depth – I’ll make sure they never return!”
Everyone felt a chill from these almost curse-like words and couldn’t help but look up at this beautiful mistress. She was charming and radiant, her deep red dress blooming like red flowers in the cold night wind, yet her tone was cruel and severe, like an evil spirit crawling out of hell. The mockery flowing from the corners of her eyes carried a contempt carved into her very bones. Everyone was somewhat confused. Steward Lin’s palm trembled. He didn’t know why, but he felt that Jiang Ruan at this moment was remarkably similar to Xiao Shao – that strength and resilience emanating from her very bones, unafraid of anything. Even if a blade were held to her throat the next second, she would still have the composure to calmly arrange her servants’ deployment.
“Now, act immediately!” she commanded.