Zhao Jin was trained in martial arts, so her hearing was even better than Jiang Ruan’s. She also noticed the commotion, glanced at Jiang Ruan, made a hand gesture, and quietly moved forward. Jiang Ruan signaled for Tianzhu to follow beside Zhao Jin to prevent any accidents, and she followed as well.
All of them moved as lightly as possible. They had just reached the corner without getting close when they heard a woman’s delicate, angry voice: “You! You shameless scoundrel!”
Another voice followed—a man’s voice that seemed to contain anger and some bewildered confusion: “You’re the strange one. Why are you undressing in front of me? Have you no shame!”
Zhao Jin and Jiang Ruan exchanged glances, then carefully parted the dense branches blocking their view. They saw a man and woman in the grove with their backs to them. The man should be one of the young men who came to today’s Golden Chrysanthemum Banquet, and judging by his attire, he seemed to be some family’s young master. The woman was quite unfamiliar—her clothing was askew, pulled down to her shoulders, revealing fair skin, creating quite a disheveled appearance.
“It’s Fifth Miss Guo, Guo Meng, the concubine-born daughter of the Minister’s family,” Zhao Jin whispered in Jiang Ruan’s ear. “She came today with her legitimate elder sister.”
“You…” That Fifth Miss Guo seemed to have tears in her voice, sounding utterly miserable: “You insulted me, and now you speak like this. I… I have no face to see anyone anymore. I might as well die!” With that, she stood up and threw herself headfirst toward a tree.
The young man was startled and quickly reached out to pull her back, nearly being dragged down with her as he said urgently: “There’s been a misunderstanding. How could a man of the Zhao family be the kind of shameless scoundrel you describe!”
He turned his head, revealing a familiar face. The people hiding behind the trees could see clearly—it was Third Young Master Zhao, Zhao Feizhou.
Zhao Feizhou was currently just a teenager in his teens. His face was flushed red, but there was no guilty expression, only urgent anger. Zhao Jin could see clearly and nudged Jiang Ruan: “Sister Ruan, there’s something fishy about this.”
Jiang Ruan raised an eyebrow—of course there was something fishy. This Fifth Miss Guo kept saying that Zhao Feizhou had insulted her, but from beginning to end, she hadn’t properly arranged her clothing. Any proper young lady from a good family, if truly insulted, would at least pull up her clothes. But this woman seemed afraid that others couldn’t see her exposed skin. Moreover, among the three young masters of the Zhao family, Zhao Yi was steady and resolute, Zhao Yulong had inherited Zhao Yuanping’s wisdom and strategic mind, but only this Zhao Feizhou hadn’t inherited Zhao Yuanfeng’s cunning—instead, he had completely inherited his father’s impulsive nature. Furthermore, he lacked scheming and was quite simple-minded. If someone truly wanted to plot against the Zhao family, it would be strange if they didn’t target Zhao Feizhou.
Zhao Feizhou was now seventeen or eighteen, exactly the age to take a wife. As for this Fifth Miss Guo, being a concubine’s daughter, she naturally couldn’t aspire to the General’s manor. But if Zhao Feizhou had insulted the young lady, he would have to marry her whether he wanted to or not—wouldn’t Guo Meng get exactly what she wished for?
But… how could a mere concubine’s daughter have such audacity? A harsh, rigid face appeared in Jiang Ruan’s mind.
“Third Young Master Zhao, are you trying to shirk responsibility?” Guo Meng sobbed: “Today I came with my sister to attend a Golden Chrysanthemum Banquet properly, how could…” She paused: “Third Young Master Zhao, if you refuse to take responsibility, Meng’er’s life will be ruined. What’s the point of living? I might as well end this wretched existence.”
Jiang Ruan looked around this area. Not far away was a small house—such small houses built in manor gardens were usually used for leisure and rest. If guests came and felt tired from walking around, they could sit in the grove pavilion and have some tea. Today, looking at that grove pavilion, there wasn’t a soul around—not even a guarding maid was to be seen. Jiang Ruan understood immediately. With this Fifth Miss Guo crying and wailing like this, someone of Zhao Feizhou’s honest nature would naturally be quite troubled. Soon, the instigator would probably bring people to “accidentally” pass by this place and stumble upon this scandalous affair.
Then Zhao Feizhou would lose all face before countless noble wives, young ladies, and official young men of the capital. Both daughters-in-law of the Zhao family were kind and gentle by nature—no matter how much they might protect their family, they would be outnumbered. And with everyone watching, if someone pressured Zhao Feizhou to make a statement to this Guo Meng, Guo Meng could smoothly enter the Zhao family’s doors afterward.
Once Guo Meng entered those doors, the Zhao family would never have peace again. Guo Meng would certainly use every means to sow discord in the Zhao family’s relationships, and might even bring catastrophic disaster to the Zhao family.
But with this Fifth Miss Guo entering the Zhao family’s doors under everyone’s watchful eyes, especially after Zhao Feizhou had done such things to wrong Guo Meng, she would become like a crystal figure—couldn’t be beaten, couldn’t be scolded. With Zhao Guang’s temperament, he would probably fall ill from anger.
It could both ruin Zhao Feizhou and cause trouble for the Zhao family—killing two birds with one stone. Acting in such a manner, it would be hard not to arouse suspicion.
Jiang Ruan’s eyes narrowed slightly as she asked: “What’s the background of this Fifth Miss Guo?”
Zhao Jin was startled and said quietly: “The Minister’s wife is gravely ill and probably won’t survive this year. Minister Guo dotes on his concubine while neglecting his wife. The Minister’s wife only has First Miss Guo as her legitimate daughter. Fifth Miss Guo was born to a concubine, and she has an older brother above her. These two siblings run rampant in the manor, and poor First Miss Guo has to deal with them daily. Today it was also Minister Guo who let Fifth Miss Guo come along—otherwise, what qualifications would a concubine’s daughter have to attend the Golden Chrysanthemum Banquet?”
Jiang Ruan lowered her eyes. Another case of doting on concubines while neglecting the wife. This Fifth Miss Guo’s audacity was truly remarkable, but… if one dares to act, one must dare to bear the consequences.
She reached out to part the branches. Zhao Jin was startled and pressed down on her hand: “Sister Ruan, what are you going to do?”
“Serve as a witness for Fifth Miss Guo.” Jiang Ruan smiled slightly.
Guo Meng and Zhao Feizhou heard the commotion and both turned around. Seeing Jiang Ruan, they both froze. Zhao Feizhou hadn’t seen Jiang Ruan since three years ago, but he finally recognized from the young woman’s features that this was the stunningly beautiful girl in red from back then—his cousin. Fifth Miss Guo had never seen Jiang Ruan before, only seeing a suddenly appeared enchantingly beautiful young woman who possessed a noble elegance she herself lacked, immediately arousing jealousy and embarrassment.
As a concubine’s daughter, what she cared most about was her own lowly status. Like Jiang Susu, Guo Meng would harbor hostility toward anyone who could outshine her. So the moment she saw Jiang Ruan, resentment filled her heart as she said: “Who are you?”
“This Princess was just passing by and happened to witness quite a performance.” Jiang Ruan smiled slightly.
“Princess?” Guo Meng was startled. The young woman before her had extraordinary bearing—even her own legitimate elder sister would pale in comparison before her. If she claimed to be a princess, could it be…? She looked at Jiang Ruan, and two lines of tears immediately flowed down: “I beg the Princess to uphold justice for this humble woman. Third Young Master Zhao violated this humble woman’s chastity…”
Jiang Ruan nodded: “Very well.”
Zhao Jin and Zhao Feizhou were both stunned—the former didn’t understand what Jiang Ruan intended to do, while the latter was furious. Jiang Ruan was his cousin after all—how could she believe a stranger?
Lu Zhu and Tianzhu stood calmly to the side. The longer they followed Jiang Ruan, the clearer it became to them that when Jiang Ruan was at her most gentle, it meant someone was about to suffer misfortune.
Guo Meng seemed extremely ashamed, covering her face as she wept: “Earlier I was in the courtyard admiring chrysanthemums with my sister. Seeing butterflies, I playfully followed them, but unexpectedly encountered Third Young Master Zhao on the way. Third Young Master Zhao spoke with me for a while, then… then I twisted my ankle. When Third Young Master Zhao helped me up, he made me unconscious, and when I woke up…” She couldn’t continue, only sobbing loudly.
“That’s not true at all!” Zhao Feizhou stamped his feet in anger: “You twisted your ankle, and I kindly helped you up. You used a handkerchief to wipe my sweat, and somehow I passed out. When I woke up, I was here, and you said I violated your chastity, but I didn’t do anything!” Thinking of this, Zhao Feizhou felt annoyed, realizing that handkerchief must have had some kind of drug on it—he had been tricked at that moment.
“Third Young Master Zhao’s words make no sense. Could it be that I deliberately drugged you unconscious so you could defile my chastity? What good would that do me if word got out?” But Guo Meng was also quick-tongued. She turned to Jiang Ruan, crying: “The Princess is wise and just—you will surely uphold justice for this humble woman.”
Jiang Ruan crouched down, bringing her gaze level with Guo Meng’s, and smiled: “Very well, I’ll uphold justice for you.” She said softly: “Then… has Miss Guo truly lost her chastity?”
This question was quite strange. Guo Meng looked at Jiang Ruan suspiciously. Jiang Ruan smiled back at her, her gaze like a clear, moistening spring, yet also like a black whirlpool, bottomless. If one looked too deeply, it seemed a lurking beast would burst forth from within and devour her completely. Under such a gaze, Guo Meng couldn’t help feeling guilty. She lowered her head and said mournfully: “Why does the Princess ask such a thing? Having suffered such an ordeal, I already wish I were dead.”
“I didn’t—” Zhao Feizhou was about to speak when Zhao Jin shook her head at him. Jiang Ruan smiled slightly and stood up: “Then, Miss Guo, stop crying for now. We’ll have a matron come examine Miss Guo’s body shortly. If you’re truly no longer chaste, we’ll have Third Young Master Zhao marry you. How does that sound?”
“No, no, I never touched her!” Before Guo Meng could speak, Zhao Feizhou jumped up first.
“Is the Princess trying to humiliate me?” A flash of panic crossed Guo Meng’s eyes, which she quickly replaced with an expression of being insulted, turning her head aside in extreme shame and indignation.
“Not at all,” Jiang Ruan said slowly. “I just feel there might be some misunderstanding. Since Fifth Miss Guo claims Third Young Master Zhao defiled her chastity, there should be virgin’s blood. But looking around this area, this Princess has seen no virgin’s blood. Could it be that Third Young Master Zhao didn’t defile Fifth Miss Guo’s chastity here, but then carried Fifth Miss Guo here afterward? Wouldn’t that be superfluous, or perhaps showing off Third Young Master Zhao’s good stamina?”
At these words, all three people present were dumbfounded. Even Lu Zhu and Tianzhu, who were accustomed to Jiang Ruan’s unexpected statements, couldn’t help twitching their lips.
Zhao Jin and Zhao Feizhou shared the same thoughts at this moment—Jiang Ruan was openly discussing such embarrassing matters in front of everyone. As an unmarried young woman, she spoke with such candor, showing no trace of bashfulness, her frank manner truly breathtaking. It completely overturned the image of the gentle, serene young lady from a prominent family.
Zhao Feizhou’s face turned bright red, nearly fainting from shock at Jiang Ruan’s scandalous words. His grandmother and several aunts usually spoke of Jiang Ruan with high praise, saying she was well-mannered and rule-abiding, with the bearing of someone from a great family. Who would have known that today’s display would make him suspicious—was this really the refined cousin his family members spoke of?
But Guo Meng was struck speechless by Jiang Ruan’s words. No matter how she calculated, she never expected Jiang Ruan would use such words to block her. Who could have imagined that a princess would speak so casually about “virgin’s blood”? But virgin’s blood couldn’t be faked—if they really brought a matron to examine her body, she would be the one to suffer the consequences. Guo Meng’s expression changed, and she suddenly said: “Does the Princess harbor some dissatisfaction with me? Why do you speak such insulting words right away?”
Jiang Ruan’s smile remained gentle, showing no anger at her words. Instead, she said softly: “It’s not an insult—it’s for fairness. We can’t show favoritism toward the young lady just because she’s a woman, nor can Third Young Master Zhao suffer in silence. It’s like shopping at the market—one must let people see clearly whether the goods are intact.”
By comparing Guo Meng to goods, Guo Meng’s face immediately turned pale. Zhao Jin covered her mouth and laughed—this was the first time she’d seen Jiang Ruan so aggressively confrontational. She never knew Jiang Ruan could be so eloquent, reducing that Fifth Miss Guo to shame with just a few sentences.
“Fifth Miss Guo has no virgin’s blood yet wants Third Young Master Zhao to take responsibility—this is quite strange. Either Fifth Miss Guo is actually still chaste and what happened earlier was just a misunderstanding, or…” Jiang Ruan looked at her in confusion: “Could it be that Fifth Miss Guo was already not a virgin?”
“Pfft—” Zhao Feizhou burst out laughing, feeling that Jiang Ruan was just like his second uncle—speaking gently but actually cursing people in roundabout ways, ultimately trapping them in their own words. No matter how Guo Meng answered, she would be caught in an impossible situation.
Guo Meng’s eyes reddened with anxiety, her heart burning with unusual anger. Though she was a concubine’s daughter who had shamelessly schemed against Zhao Feizhou, she was still unmarried. She hadn’t expected that today Jiang Ruan’s every word would leave her speechless, making her feel utterly embarrassed. And now, if she admitted this was a misunderstanding, she would certainly be unwilling. But as Jiang Ruan said, if rumors spread that she wasn’t chaste to begin with, even if she was in the right, others would look at her differently.
Guo Meng ultimately couldn’t maintain her composure. In her panic, she questioned: “Does the Princess show favoritism because you’re related to Third Young Master Zhao? This is terribly unfair. Can members of the imperial family bully people at will?”
Jiang Ruan burst out laughing with a “pfft,” her eyes bright with amusement: “I never said I was related to Third Young Master Zhao. How did Fifth Miss Guo come to that conclusion so readily?”
Zhao Feizhou’s expression grew serious, and Zhao Jin stopped laughing. Though Zhao Feizhou was straightforward by nature, he wasn’t stupid. Hearing Jiang Ruan’s hint, he immediately understood that he had been schemed against. Having inherited Zhao Yuanfeng’s temperament, he was naturally hot-tempered. Earlier, thinking it was just a misunderstanding, he hadn’t done anything to Fifth Miss Guo. But now anger surged in his heart as he stepped forward: “You dare scheme against me?”
“I don’t understand what the Princess is saying.” Knowing she had misspoken, Guo Meng could only persist in her denial. She felt extremely frustrated—how could this Princess Hong’an be even more troublesome than the rumors suggested? Today’s affair had been on the verge of success, but her interference had made it impossible to proceed. She felt both hatred and anger.
Jiang Ruan said calmly: “Fifth Miss Guo doesn’t understand? Shall this Princess explain it for Fifth Miss Guo?”
“Sister Ruan, what do you want to explain?” Zhao Jin cooperated well.
“Fifth Miss Guo, the men of the General’s manor are truly excellent. How many legitimate daughters of prominent families in the capital hope to marry into the Zhao family? But if everyone used such crude methods to scheme as you have, the General’s manor would have been overflowing with people long ago. I truly don’t understand—where does a concubine’s daughter get the audacity to covet the General’s manor?”
Guo Meng’s heart leaped as she looked up at Jiang Ruan. She felt that the young woman, dressed in her lotus azure jacket and skirt, clearly had a face as bright and beautiful as flowers, yet it was inexplicably tinged with a layer of dark sunlight. She seemed… like a spirit born from white bones in hell—beautiful yet terrifying.
“Princess, this is just a misunderstanding,” Guo Meng decided quickly. As a concubine’s daughter, she understood best the need to adapt to circumstances in daily life at the manor. Seeing that the matter had already failed and that Jiang Ruan was no easy target, continuing to entangle would only hurt her. No matter how much the Minister loved her—even more than her legitimate elder sister—if he learned she had offended Princess Hong’an, he certainly wouldn’t spare her.
The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Guo Meng forced a smile: “It seems there was some misunderstanding between Third Young Master Zhao and myself. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, everything is fine. I wrongly accused Third Young Master Zhao, and I apologize to him.”
Zhao Feizhou was somewhat angry. Living in a military family, he usually had little contact with women. His aunts and mothers were all kind-natured, and the household was peaceful, having never experienced the scheming among women found in other manors. He had never encountered such shameless people and momentarily didn’t know what to say.
Zhao Jin also said: “Fifth Miss Guo, your apology truly lacks sincerity.”
Jiang Ruan looked at Guo Meng and said: “You didn’t wrongly accuse him.”
Zhao Feizhou was startled, looking at Jiang Ruan in confusion. Guo Meng also didn’t understand what Jiang Ruan meant, staring intently at her expression.
Jiang Ruan smiled faintly: “Fifth Miss Guo, hasn’t anyone told you that running away after doing something wrong is very dangerous?”
Guo Meng’s heart trembled with alarm. Having an ominous premonition and seeing Jiang Ruan’s expression, she no longer cared about anything else and opened her mouth to scream.
“Tianzhu, knock her unconscious.” Jiang Ruan spoke. As soon as her words fell, before Guo Meng could cry out, the maid who had been standing silently behind Jiang Ruan leaped up. Guo Meng felt everything go black and could see nothing.
Guo Meng’s body collapsed limply onto the grass. Zhao Jin frowned, and Zhao Feizhou asked: “What… do you want to do?”
Jiang Ruan looked at the person on the ground: “I don’t have much patience to rescue you the next time you act foolishly. If you continue like this, the Zhao family will be destroyed by you sooner or later.” She sneered: “Tianzhu, take Fifth Miss Guo to watch a show.”