Yesterday, the Jiang family married off their daughter. The third miss, born of a concubine, became the wife of the current Left Vice Minister, becoming a topic of animated discussion throughout the capital. Originally, for a concubine-born daughter to secure such prospects was truly a model for the entire Great Jin Dynasty. People only knew that yesterday the guests enjoyed themselves thoroughly and the hosts served attentively, but some hidden matters were known to no one.
For instance, on the second day when the sun was high in the sky, the maids and matchmaker from the Vice Minister’s residence came to collect the red proof from the wedding night. The maid called out several times from outside but heard no response, thinking the master and mistress were tired, so she pushed the door open to enter.
Upon entering the room, her nose was immediately filled with a strong, ambiguous scent. The maid lowered her head and called out: “Master, Madam.”
After waiting for quite some time with no one answering, the matchmaker also found it strange and boldly looked toward the bed. The wide bed curtains swayed gently, and one could vaguely see naked bodies intertwined. The matchmaker’s old face reddened, cursing inwardly, thinking that concubine-born daughters truly had no manners—what new bride would be so restless, acting like a courtesan.
The matchmaker smiled and said: “Young Madam?”
Perhaps finally hearing the matchmaker’s voice, the person on the bed moaned softly, the sound full of lingering emotion. A hand lifted the curtain, and in a daze said: “Who is it?”
The matchmaker only glanced once at the bed before freezing in shock, suddenly letting out a sharp, piercing scream that startled the maid beside her to also look up at the bed. At first glance, she too was frightened. The two exchanged looks, each seeing terror in the other’s eyes. No longer speaking, they screamed and ran out.
The screaming was too ear-piercing, nearly drawing all the servants and guards of the Vice Minister’s residence. The woman on the bed also seemed to wake up somewhat, suddenly sensing something was wrong. Looking down, she immediately began screaming as well.
That wide bed actually held two completely naked men!
Her screams finally awakened the other two people on the bed, who groggily came to consciousness.
Jiang Li was on the verge of collapse. At this moment she was completely naked, and even the skin exposed outside was covered in blue and purple marks. Those red marks imprinted on her fair skin made it even more apparent how wild the previous night had been.
One of the men on the bed rubbed his sleepy eyes as he woke, saying irritably: “What’s all the noise? Disturb this prince and you’ll regret it later.” It was Xuan You.
And the other person… Jiang Li began trembling all over. Zuo Jiang opened his eyes and was already stunned.
“Slut!” Zuo Jiang viciously slapped her across the face!
Jiang Li staggered from the blow, covering her face and not daring to speak. What was happening? How could she have slept with two men? One of them being her new husband?
Yesterday at the wedding banquet, she had watched Jiang Ruan drink that cup of drugged wine and felt relieved. But when the toast-makers left, she noticed something wrong with her own body. Her whole body felt burning hot—thinking back now, it seemed like she was the one who had been drugged! Could Jiang Ruan have switched the wine cups?
Jiang Li naturally didn’t know that Xuan You, to ensure nothing could go wrong, had put sufficient amounts of “Spring Wind Crossing” in both cups. Whether Jiang Ruan switched the cups or not, she would still be affected!
But she had been staying in the bridal chamber the whole time. Zuo Jiang was understandable, but how did Xuan You end up there too?
That crisp slap not only awakened Jiang Li but also made Xuan You understand. Yesterday he had caught Jiang Ruan, and when everything seemed foolproof, Xiao Shao had arrived with people. Xiao Shao had looked terrifying at the time, and then… then he knew nothing more. He woke up already in Zuo Jiang’s bed.
Xuan You knew this must be Xiao Shao’s doing. But since Xiao Shao hadn’t taken his life, Xuan You was already greatly relieved. Though he was unwilling that Jiang Ruan had escaped from his grasp, Xuan You didn’t have the courage to oppose Xiao Shao.
He looked brazenly at Zuo Jiang and Jiang Li, frowning. It seemed last night’s madness was actually with Jiang Li. Well, at least she was still a virgin. Xuan You stretched lazily: “Miss Jiang, or should I say Madam Zuo now—thank you for last night’s hospitality. This prince is very satisfied.”
Zuo Jiang clenched his fists, his heart full of fury. Earlier, the matchmaker and maid’s outcry had already attracted many onlookers. Last night, some wedding guests who had partied too hard and gotten too drunk had stayed at the Vice Minister’s residence. They all came running to see what had happened, and now a crowd had gathered outside the door. What a joke this was!
His new wife had spent her first night tumbling with another man, and he had been right there beside them. If this got out, people would think Zuo Jiang had some special perversion. Now both his dignity and reputation were completely ruined! Zuo Jiang couldn’t understand why things had turned out this way. The one who should have spent the night of pleasure with Xuan You was clearly supposed to be Jiang Ruan. Since Xuan You was here now, it meant Jiang Ruan was definitely safe. If this got back to the palace, Consort Chen would certainly blame him for his incompetence.
But Zuo Jiang couldn’t worry about Consort Chen’s side now. The current situation was what put him in an impossible position. If he just let Xuan You go, tomorrow the people of the capital could drown him in their spit, and the censors’ memorials would certainly use this incident to criticize him. But if he pursued Xuan You relentlessly… this whole affair was originally ordered by Consort Chen. How could he now turn against Xuan You? By now, Zuo Jiang deeply regretted why he had agreed to help Consort Chen assist Xuan You in getting Jiang Ruan in the first place, and even if he had agreed, why choose his wedding day. Though he didn’t like Jiang Li, she held the title of Vice Minister’s wife. To maintain his good reputation, he couldn’t divorce his wife now. But this way, the carefully cultivated image of being devoted and loving was ruined!
Zuo Jiang gritted his teeth watching Xuan You dress and swagger away. Xuan You never feared public criticism, so he was quite carefree. But Zuo Jiang was left to face various judgments alone. In his fury, seeing Jiang Li’s lost and devastated appearance, he couldn’t help but kick her: “Slut!”
Jiang Li recoiled in terror. Even if she was stupid, she now understood. Having lost her virtue in front of Zuo Jiang, even though she held the title of Vice Minister’s wife, for the rest of her life, she could never hope to gain her husband’s respect and affection again.
The crowd of onlookers outside the Vice Minister’s bridal chamber grew larger. Two people squeezed out from the crowd—one dressed as a matchmaker, one as a maid. They were Jin San and Jin Si.
Jin San glanced at Jin Si: “Was my screaming loud enough earlier?”
Jin Si nodded: “Not bad.”
The two smiled at each other. This was just the beginning. The master was furious, so the capital would inevitably face another bloody storm. The Vice Minister’s residence had only lost face for now, but what followed would certainly implicate everyone involved, leaving them no way out. Those who deserved death would die, and as for that person in the palace, she wouldn’t escape either.
As they say, when Xiao Shao smiles, even the King of Hell takes a detour. The nobles in the capital of Great Jin had lived too comfortably these years and had long forgotten this saying. It wouldn’t hurt to use this opportunity to let them see clearly whether the legend was true or not.
Xuan You sang songs all the way back to his residence. Having exhausted himself last night, he went straight to his room to rest. Back in bed, feeling somewhat thirsty, he casually picked up the tea from the nearby table and drank it all in one go.
“Spring Wind Crossing” truly lived up to its reputation as the finest aphrodisiac. Even after a night of madness, he still felt restless and agitated. Xuan You got up, wanting to find a concubine to relieve his desires. Just as he was about to leave the room, his steps suddenly halted. From returning home until now, not a single person had come to greet him. Not the servants, maids, or his roomful of beautiful concubines—no one at all. The entire residence had fallen into a deathly silence, completely devoid of life.
Xuan You’s heart jumped. His steps toward the door stopped, the burning heat instantly fading as an ominous premonition arose. He called out several times: “Xiao Li! Xiao Li!”
The servant didn’t respond, and no one in the entire residence answered him, as if there wasn’t a soul in the house. Xuan You didn’t dare rashly leave, so he walked to the window to look outside. From beneath the window, he saw a large expanse of red spreading out, shocking to behold.
Xuan You stumbled backward in fright, accidentally knocking over the screen behind him. When the screen fell, a person tumbled out stiffly from behind it. Xuan You screamed—the person who fell was rigid and covered in blood. It was his personal servant Xiao Li.
Xuan You’s scalp tingled. He immediately tried to flee through the door, but before he could move, the main door was kicked open from outside. Two men in black stood at the entrance, looking at him expressionlessly.
“Who are you? Someone come! This prince is a royal son—what do you want to do?” Xuan You’s heart was in turmoil. The two men walked toward him. Moments later, a scream emerged from the room.
On the second day after Vice Minister Zuo Jiang’s wedding in the capital, lively rumors spread throughout the city. One was that Vice Minister Zuo appeared to be a devoted and righteous good man, but unexpectedly, appearances could be deceiving—privately he had some despicable preferences, enjoying sharing his wife with other men. While men having certain preferences wasn’t necessarily wrong, the wife was his legitimate spouse, and playing with her this way was truly immoral. Rumor had it that Vice Minister Zuo willingly wore a cuckold’s hat, neither divorcing his wife nor troubling that debauched prince.
Because of this incident, Jiang Li couldn’t hold her head up in the capital. Like a startled bird, she stayed in her room all day, not daring to go out. Even the servants of the Vice Minister’s residence looked at her strangely, and Zuo Jiang was even worse, frequently beating and scolding her. Life was extremely difficult. Jiang Quan also flew into a rage because of Jiang Li’s situation. His fellow officials looked at him with great disdain, and the censors submitted memorials condemning the Vice Minister’s residence for disorder in the inner quarters, also criticizing him for failing to properly educate his daughter.
If these events were already quite shocking, what happened next stirred up an enormous upheaval in the capital. Because Xuan You was dead.
Xuan You was dead, killed in his own residence. Everyone in the entire household, from top to bottom, was slaughtered—not one survivor remained. All died from single sword strikes. Xuan You died most horribly, his entire body chopped into pieces, but his head was nowhere to be found. If not for his clothes and seal, no one could have guessed this was Xuan You. The perpetrator had acted so brutally that people speculated it was Xuan You’s enemies seeking revenge. The constabulary had sent people to investigate, but unfortunately made no progress.
Third Prince Xuan You had bullied men and women, using his royal status to run rampant in the capital, harming countless daughters and wives of families. He had long been like a rat crossing the street that everyone wanted to beat. So when news of Xuan You’s death spread, the people all praised it, saying they had finally vented their anger, celebrating with their entire households. But Xuan You had made too many enemies, so no one knew who had done it. This made Zuo Jiang, who had been humiliated by Xuan You just days before, become the prime suspect.
Zuo Jiang felt very helpless. With Xuan You’s death, if Consort Chen suspected he had acted, it would be publicly expressing dissatisfaction with her. Consort Chen was ruthless by nature and would inevitably harbor suspicions about him. Precisely because he had become the main suspect, his every move was now being monitored. Many eyes were watching him from the shadows, so how could he dare make any rash moves? His days were extremely frustrating.
When these events in the capital reached Jiang Ruan’s ears, she was somewhat stunned. These past few days she had been staying at Prince Jinying’s residence. Xiao Shao had sent word to the General’s residence saying Jiang Ruan had been ambushed and was now resting at his residence. Publicly, they claimed Jiang Ruan had returned to the General’s residence to visit Zhao Guang and his wife. Prince Jinying’s residence had always maintained excellent secrecy, so no one had discovered anything.
Hearing Tianzhu speak this way, Jiang Ruan pondered silently. In this capital, who else besides the Imperial Guards would dare so brazenly kill a royal prince? This thunderous method of sweeping away fallen leaves like autumn wind did match Xiao Shao’s character. She originally hadn’t planned to spare the Vice Minister’s household and Xuan You, but Xiao Shao had acted first. It must be said, he acted quickly, saving much trouble and being very satisfying. But would this bring him trouble?
Jin Yi, Jin Er, Jin San, and Jin Si sat in a tree not far away, watching Jiang Ruan. The Vice Minister’s incident had made Xiao Shao vigilant—Tianzhu alone wasn’t enough. Xiao Shao had ordered them to protect Jiang Ruan well these days.
Jin Yi and Jin Er had slaughtered Third Prince’s residence yesterday, leaving no survivors. As assassins, they seemed to have bloodthirsty natures. Yesterday, Xiao Shao had personally dealt with Xuan You—one hundred and eight cuts, each cut to the bone, but only letting Xuan You die after the final cut. The Imperial Guards had plenty of methods for torturing people, but the cold gleam in Xiao Shao’s eyes last night made even these personal shadow guards shudder.
Over the years, Xiao Shao had become increasingly composed, rarely showing such killing intent. That Xuan You had experienced all the world’s most painful methods before death—dying at Xiao Shao’s hands was truly quite an honor.
Jin San fiddled with her hair: “Master recalled Ye Feng and wants to use him again?”
Ever since Ye Feng was transferred to the Treasure Pavilion three years ago, Xiao Shao had never used him again. They all knew Ye Feng had made a grave error, nearly causing the future young madam and young master to become estranged enemies. That the young master hadn’t executed Ye Feng in anger was already quite merciful. Now reactivating Ye Feng was truly strange.
Jin Si frowned: “Better not to. Ye Feng is too stupid.” Though Jin San and Jin Si looked identical, their temperaments were completely different. Even wearing the same clothes, they could be easily distinguished. Jin San was alluring, Jin Si was heroic. Jin Si had never gotten along with Ye Feng, so naturally didn’t want Ye Feng to work with Xiao Shao again.
Jin Er cradled his head with both hands, saying lazily: “Ye Feng has received a good assignment this time.”
“What assignment?”
Jin Er smiled: “To deliver a great gift to Consort Chen.”
The atmosphere in Simeng Palace was very strange today, not like the usual gentle smoke and tender warmth. The air seemed to float with a trace of restlessness. Even the usually beautiful and gentle woman on the main seat was somewhat impatiently throwing down the book scroll in her hands.
“Your Majesty, yesterday’s clothes should have arrived.” A palace maid brought over a small box.
The Clothing Palace was most diligent in sending clothes to Simeng Palace. Everyone knew that Consort Chen in the palace was deeply favored by the Emperor, so naturally they were more attentive. Today was the same—when the palace maid returned to the sleeping quarters, she saw this box and assumed it was sent by the servants.
Seeing the box, Consort Chen’s expression improved somewhat. She ordered the palace maid to present the box and gently opened it. This was usually a routine matter, but suddenly she let out an “Ah!” of shock. The box in her hands suddenly fell, making a crisp sound as it hit the ground. A round object rolled out, tumbling along and leaving a trail of red spots.
The palace maids and eunuchs didn’t understand what was happening and looked down. At first glance, they were so frightened they nearly screamed. What was in the box was none other than the severed head of Xuan You, who had been killed days ago!
Xuan You’s face still bore an expression of terror and fury, his mouth wide open as if he had suffered extreme pain before death. The part below his neck had been cleanly severed, a mess of blood, but his face was very clean, as if deliberately cleaned. At this moment, Xuan You’s eyes were wide open, staring directly at Consort Chen. Consort Chen’s face went white and she nearly collapsed.
“Your Majesty, spare our lives.” That palace maid also knew she had made a grave error and hurriedly knelt down, kowtowing. The palace maids in Simeng Palace all knelt in a mass. Consort Chen shrieked: “Old Chen! Old Chen!”
Eunuch Chen hurried in. Seeing the object on the ground, he too was greatly alarmed. In two or three steps, he bent down to pick up Xuan You’s head and put it back in the box. He glanced at the palace maid: “Withdraw!”
The palace maids hurriedly retreated. Consort Chen caught her breath and looked at Eunuch Chen: “Old Chen, it’s him. It must be him.” Her voice carried rare panic.
Eunuch Chen was a family servant brought by Consort Chen from her natal family. From when Consort Chen entered the palace, he had risen from a small eunuch all the way to head eunuch—he was Consort Chen’s confidant. Eunuch Chen also knew about the Jiang Ruan affair. Though he didn’t approve of his young mistress’s feelings for Xiao Shao, Eunuch Chen would still spare no effort to help Consort Chen clear away obstacles.
Keeping Jiang Ruan alive was a disaster, but Xiao Shao was no easy target either. This could be seen from today’s events. They had known Xuan You’s death was his doing, but they didn’t know Xiao Shao had become so unrestrained as to brazenly send Xuan You’s head to Consort Chen. Was this a warning or a harbinger?
Consort Chen stared fixedly at the box in Eunuch Chen’s hands, suddenly bursting into laughter: “He actually dares oppose me! Defying all propriety to oppose me!” She gritted her teeth, the madness gradually fading from her eyes as they became cold and beautiful again. But looking carefully, one could see the jealous fire and burning heat in their depths. She said in a low voice: “Good! Since he does this, don’t blame this consort for being ruthless. This consort wants to see just how far he’s willing to go for that woman!”
Eunuch Chen moved his lips but said nothing in the end. Consort Chen glanced at him and said coldly: “The palace maids present today—you know what to do.”
This was to silence them permanently. Eunuch Chen bowed down and respectfully answered: “Yes.”