Author: Thousand Mountain Tea Guest

The dimly lit small room suddenly brightened with several lanterns. The gaudy pink lanterns were made from cheap fabric, and the incense burning in the room gave off a nauseating fragrance. The smoke curled upward, and the more one inhaled that scent, the more it stirred a stifling heat in one’s chest, as if something was clawing and scratching at one’s heart.

The door was kicked open with a “bang,” and three burly middle-aged men walked in from outside. These three had dark skin and dirty clothes – clearly laborers who sold their strength as slaves. As soon as they entered, their gazes fell directly upon the three people in the room.

The two young men lying askew had fair skin, appearing handsome in the dim lamplight, their slender frames showing tender, delicate flesh. The leading man’s eyes lit up as he praised: “Liu Sanniang said some fine goods arrived today – those words weren’t false.” He strode forward, first running his hand over Li Yang’s face, then looked down at the person on the other side and frowned: “What’s wrong with this one? Is Liu Sanniang playing games with us brothers?”

Li Dong’s face was deathly pale, filled with both rage and terror. Having debauched countless young men in his lifetime, he naturally understood what kind of place this was. But who could have imagined that today he too would be at the mercy of others in such a place – it was simply unbelievable!

Though angry at heart, his body was soft and unable to move, and his voice was weak and powerless. Another middle-aged man laughed, his face showing a lewd expression: “Who cares? Turn off the lights and they’re all the same. Though this one’s older, at least his body’s tender. We three brothers can have a good time tonight. Liu Sanniang charged us a tael of silver – we paid a high price today, so we’d better play well.”

Li Yang looked at the three men in terror. The leading man squinted at him, extending one hand inside his clothes. With the aphrodisiac incense burning in the room and the man already aroused, seeing Li Yang’s handsome face tinged with fear at close range immediately stirred his desires. Without another word, he began tearing at Li Yang’s clothes.

Li Dong closed his eyes in anguish. Though Li Yang had always been promiscuous, he was still his own flesh and blood. Now he was about to be violated by these lowly commoners right before his eyes.

The other two were already eager to act, walking to Li An’s side. Unable to move his body, Li An glared viciously at the two men. His poisonous gaze made them freeze momentarily, but when they recovered, they became angry from embarrassment. One man slapped Li An across the face with a “smack.” Li An staggered from the blow, while the other man impatiently tore open his clothes and pants. After a moment of surprise, he suddenly burst into laughter: “He’s a natural eunuch!” He then reached out to touch: “Since you’re naturally a eunuch, you were born to be on the bottom. Let us brothers teach you and show you what this is all about.”

A handprint appeared on Li An’s pale face, and his fierce glare only further aroused their desire to ravage him. His face gradually began to flush red – Liu Sanniang had given all three of them the strongest drug from this place. They had to continuously engage in carnal activities, or their bodies couldn’t endure it. For instance, though he was now glaring angrily at others, his body was already beginning to disobey his commands. The two men exchanged glances, said no more, and pounced on him together. The room immediately filled with muffled groans and suggestive cries.

After an unknown amount of time, Li An and Li Yang had been ravaged beyond recognition. The three men were fierce and strong, nearly torturing them into inhuman shapes. The two lay sprawled on the ground, their bodies covered in filth. The three men exchanged glances, looked at Li Dong trembling naked on the ground, waved their hands to extinguish the lights, and pounced on him again.

Outside the room, Jiang Ruan stood quietly at the door, listening to those sounds of suffering with an utterly indifferent expression.

What floated through her mind, however, were the terrified, innocent eyes of that young boy from her previous life’s final moments, and Li Dong’s ugly, laughing face. Watching helplessly as Pei’er, whom she regarded as her own son, was violated to death, while she could not speak or move – she could only watch with no way to help. With tears of blood as her oath, in this life, she would make Li Dong taste the same fate!

She had thought that after all this time, when this moment came, her heart would only feel satisfaction. She had thought love and hate were both well hidden and wouldn’t easily surge from the depths of her heart. Only now, hearing the screams of Li Dong and his two sons, did she understand that hatred had always lurked in her heart – and it was far from enough!

Far from enough. The Prime Minister’s residence had fallen – who would be next?

Not far behind her, Xiao Shao watched her silhouette. When he heard her intention to send Li Dong and his sons to a male brothel, surprise had flashed through his heart. Now seeing her cold expression and the deep darkness in her eyes, not knowing what she was thinking, she seemed to be brewing emotions like a storm. Though she tried hard to hide it, her clenched fists revealed her agitation.

Only hatred could make someone like this.

After a long while, Jiang Ruan slowly turned around. Seeing he was still there, she was startled for a moment, but quickly returned to normal and walked forward, saying: “Thank you, Prince Xiao.”

Xiao Shao looked at her thoughtfully: “No need. I owe you a life, so I’ll always help you.”

Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: “Then please have Prince Xiao send people to watch over this male brothel carefully, and make sure to ‘take good care’ of the Prime Minister’s family.”

Surprise flashed through Xiao Shao’s heart again. For a sheltered young lady to be so knowledgeable about such matters, even knowing about the male brothels on Qiling Road – who would teach a noble family’s daughter these things? Moreover, even knowing about them, she could stand so brazenly at the door listening without the slightest embarrassment, her frankness truly remarkable.

He nodded: “Very well.” After thinking, he took something from his chest and handed it to Jiang Ruan.

It was a very beautiful bracelet, emitting a faint azure glow, carved with small, intricate patterns that weren’t overly complex but had their own significance. This bracelet looked familiar. Jiang Ruan glanced at it and froze: “The Blood Moon Bracelet?”

She had once gone with Zhao Jin to a newly opened jewelry building in the capital, and had taken a liking to this bracelet on the second floor where weapons and treasures were displayed, but hadn’t had enough silver to buy it. The bracelet was not only beautiful but was actually an ingenious hidden weapon – pressing the mechanism would release silver poisoned needles from within, and these needles could be used repeatedly. It was truly a precious treasure.

She looked up at Xiao Shao. His dark eyes were cold and deep as he said: “If there’s danger, feel free to use it.”

Jiang Ruan hesitated. The Blood Moon Bracelet was indeed a rare treasure and exactly what she needed, but Xiao Shao had only just indicated he was on her side – was he trustworthy?

However, her fondness for the bracelet temporarily overcame her doubts. She accepted the bracelet and smiled at Xiao Shao: “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Xiao Shao pressed his lips together, turned around, and walked with her one behind the other, reminding her: “Jiang Chao has already been released from prison.”

Jiang Ruan pondered briefly: “I understand.” She had never intended to defeat Jiang Chao with one strike. Without concrete evidence, Jiang Chao would at most arouse suspicion. Xia Yan would surely try every means to rescue Jiang Chao from prison, but Jiang Chao wouldn’t necessarily escape without paying a price. Not to mention other things – just his reputation alone meant Jiang Chao could never hold his head high again in this lifetime.

Who would think well of someone who had been imprisoned?

And Xia Yan’s price wouldn’t necessarily be so simple either. In any case, these two had lost their wife and their soldiers in this affair – the thought brought a slight pleasure to her heart.

So be it – one by one. Debts must be repaid, lives must be exchanged for lives – this was only natural justice.

In Yanhua Courtyard of the Jiang residence, Xia Yan looked at Jiang Chao before her with trembling lips.

Jiang Chao’s face was pale, his entire being seemingly trapped in extreme terror. His cheeks were deeply sunken, his eyes vacant, his hair stained with filth, and his whole body reeked of a nauseating stench. After only a few short days in prison, he seemed like a completely different person – where was the elegant young gentleman of former days?

The doctor had already examined him, saying Jiang Chao’s lower body was torn and he had suffered shock. He needed to recuperate well in the residence. Though the doctor spoke very euphemistically, hearing it was like being struck by lightning for Xia Yan.

Jiang Chao had been violated in prison!

She looked at Jiang Chao in disbelief. He was curled up in a ball, huddled in the corner of the room, trembling all over, muttering: “No… no…”

Xia Yan finally couldn’t bear it and pulled him into her arms, crying out in anguish: “Chao’er!”

Jiang Chao struggled desperately to push her away, his eyes full of terror as he bit her frantically: “Go away, go away!”

Caught off guard, Xia Yan was bitten deeply on the hand. The bite immediately drew blood like a spring. Lin Lang was frightened and quickly came to help: “Madam, how are you?”

Xia Yan waved Lin Lang away with one hand and held Jiang Chao regardless of everything, crying: “My Chao’er, open your eyes and look clearly – I’m your mother, I’m your mother!”

She held him too tightly for Jiang Chao to break free. Gradually he calmed down in Xia Yan’s embrace, saying in a trembling voice: “Mother?”

“It’s me, I’m your mother,” Xia Yan was beside herself with pain: “Chao’er, who harmed you like this?”

Jiang Chao’s whole body shook as he clutched Xia Yan’s sleeve, repeating only one phrase over and over: “Mother save me, save me, mother save me…”

Terrible images rolled through his mind. How could that prison be a place for humans? Those prisoners were all vicious criminals, and the jailers, not knowing whose orders they had received, actually put him together with those people. Those people were utterly depraved and didn’t distinguish between men and women… they tried to force themselves on him. In those few short days in prison, he had been tortured beyond recognition.

Thinking of those things, Jiang Chao felt his stomach churn with acid. He vomited all over Xia Yan’s head and face. The several maids in the room were all shocked and hurried to help. Xia Yan felt dizzy and had them take Jiang Chao back to rest first.

Only after finally soothing Jiang Chao to sleep did Xia Yan change her clothes. She seemed to have aged ten years overnight, no longer resembling her former gentle, beautiful self. Now she pressed her hands to her temples, looking like nothing more than an aging middle-aged woman.

Lin Lang said worriedly: “Madam…”

“How dare they treat Chao’er like this,” thinking of Jiang Chao, Xia Yan’s heart ached: “I must make that wretch pay back a thousandfold, ten thousandfold.”

She knew she should blame Li An for this matter, but Li An was already imprisoned, so she pushed all the blame onto Jiang Ruan. If not for her, how could Jiang Chao have suffered such a fate!

“Madam, the silver bribes have been arranged, but the account books in the storehouse still need to be altered,” Lin Lang reminded.

Bringing up this matter made Xia Yan’s chest tighten with frustration again. After Jiang Chao’s incident at the Hundred Flowers Building, the silver had already been mostly spent, and she had even used up much of her own dowry. Now, to rescue Jiang Chao from prison and manage various bribes, another sum had been spent. Her remaining dowry was still needed for Jiang Susu’s future marriage portion. With little silver left in the public funds, she had set her sights on Old Madam Jiang’s dowry. Old Madam Jiang had originally been from a noble family with a very generous dowry, and since it would all go to Jiang Quan eventually anyway, Xia Yan hadn’t harbored other intentions. But when Jiang Chao got into trouble a few days ago and Jiang Quan angrily refused to help, she could only ask Old Madam Jiang for assistance. However, Old Madam Jiang refused without hesitation. Normally she could have asked Xia Cheng for help, but after recent events, Xia Cheng already harbored much resentment toward the Jiang family. With no other options and unable to get Old Madam Jiang’s banknotes which were in her own hands, Xia Yan secretly sold the shops and farmland under her name to get the silver to rescue Jiang Chao.

Now Jiang Chao was back, but the accounts still needed to be straightened out somehow. Xia Yan felt dizzy and confused. She had always appeared uninvolved in worldly affairs on the surface while being extremely shrewd in reality, but with all these troubles coming at once, even she was at a loss for a moment.

She shook her head and said to Lin Lang beside her: “Help me walk in the courtyard.”

Lin Lang complied, supporting her as they walked to the courtyard entrance, where they saw Jiang Ruan and Lian Qiao passing by. Seeing Xia Yan, Jiang Ruan stopped and bowed to her: “Mother.”

Xia Yan forced a smile and nodded, having no heart to perform the charade of maternal kindness and filial piety, her eyes undisguised in their hatred.

However, Jiang Ruan stepped back slightly and smiled: “Why does Mother have such a smell about her? Perhaps you should return to clean up first. I’ll return to my courtyard now.” With that, she left with Lian Qiao.

Xia Yan watched Jiang Ruan’s leisurely departing figure, thinking of her own embarrassment when Jiang Chao had vomited filth all over her, nearly grinding her teeth to powder.

As soon as Jiang Xinzhi returned, he went first to Jiang Ruan’s courtyard. Jiang Ruan was instructing Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi to replace some items that had gotten damp in recent days. Seeing Jiang Xinzhi enter, Lian Qiao quickly prepared tea while Jiang Ruan sat down across from him.

Jiang Xinzhi paused, then spoke directly: “Ah Ruan, Li Dong and his two sons died in prison yesterday.”

Jiang Ruan raised her eyebrows slightly: “Oh?”

“The jailers discovered it this morning, saying they committed suicide from guilt. His Majesty was furious and ordered their corpses to be torn apart by five horses.” Jiang Xinzhi said angrily: “This is what they call the wheel of heaven’s justice – it’s not that there’s no retribution, just that the time hasn’t come. They wanted to marry you off to them, never thinking they wouldn’t live to see it.”

Jiang Ruan smiled faintly on the surface while thinking inwardly. Li Dong and his sons’ suicide in prison from guilt must be Xiao Shao’s handiwork. Though she didn’t know exactly what method he used, since even Jiang Xinzhi hadn’t noticed anything amiss, it must have been seamlessly done.

She lowered her head with a light smile. Seeing this, Jiang Xinzhi’s heart stirred as he softened his voice: “In a few days, His Majesty will hold a palace banquet to reward the officials who contributed to flood control. I will also attend, and as family, you will go as well. At that time, elder brother will seek a future for you.”

Jiang Ruan naturally understood the meaning in his words. Jiang Xinzhi wanted to use the merit he had established to exchange for an identity for her, or an opportunity to elevate her status, so that the Jiang family wouldn’t dare easily bully her. Jiang Xinzhi continued: “Now the greater my achievements, the more His Majesty values me. The west isn’t very peaceful either, so there may come a day when I must lead troops to war again. If you had some protection, that would be excellent.”

“Protection?” Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: “How does elder brother wish to protect me? Exchange for a princess’s identity? Elder brother mustn’t forget that both thunder and dew are imperial grace. His Majesty currently values elder brother – this is elder brother’s opportunity. But if elder brother presumptuously speculates on the imperial mind, or even takes such a quid pro quo attitude, I fear it would displease His Majesty. As for a princess’s identity, not to be deliberately discouraging, but elder brother’s current merit is still insufficient.”

Jiang Xinzhi was speechless. He knew Jiang Ruan was right. But wealth and honor were like floating clouds to him – now he only hoped for Jiang Ruan to live well. But what kind of place was the Jiang residence? These past days he had seen these people’s true faces clearly, and felt horrified thinking of Jiang Ruan’s past days. When he went to war in the future, how could he rest easy leaving Jiang Ruan in such a dangerous place?

Jiang Ruan looked at him, smiled, and said: “If not exchanging for a princess’s identity, there’s actually another path that could protect me.”

“What is it?” Jiang Xinzhi asked urgently.

“Very simple – find someone with great power to become engaged to me. Once there’s a betrothal, I would only be half a member of the Jiang family. If that side has great power, people here wouldn’t dare make things difficult for me.”

Hearing this, Jiang Xinzhi refused without thinking: “Impossible. You’re still so young – how could you hastily find someone to become engaged to?” Seeing Jiang Ruan’s matter-of-fact attitude without any shyness, he was even more convinced that Jiang Ruan didn’t understand what betrothal meant. “Besides, the Jiang and Xia families are close, the Xia family is close to the Eighth Prince – how easy would it be to find someone who could rival the Eighth Prince?” Speaking of this, he seemed to remember something and suddenly froze, saying nothing for a long while.

Jiang Ruan looked at him: “Elder brother?”

Jiang Xinzhi came back to his senses and looked at her strangely: “Ah Ruan, what do you think of Xiao Shao?”

Jiang Ruan: “…”

He had actually seriously considered this matter. Jiang Ruan stared at him, sighed softly after a long moment, and said gently: “Elder brother, have you forgotten that I said I don’t want to marry?”

Before Jiang Xinzhi could answer, she continued: “Besides, worldly affairs change in an instant. A husband’s family might become ravenous wolves. Elder brother, have you forgotten about mother?”

How innocent Zhao Mei had been, yet she had sacrificed her youth and flower-like life in the Jiang residence – wasn’t it because of Jiang Quan’s heartlessness?

And in her previous life, hadn’t she fallen to a fate worse than death, with all her loved ones slaughtered, because Xuan Li had deceived her trust with a gentle false mask?

Human hearts were truly the most unreliable things in this world.

The coldness in Jiang Ruan’s eyes was too deep, making Jiang Xinzhi slightly stunned. He reached out to pat her head: “You’re still just a young girl – why do you speak so maturely?” He said: “With elder brother here, you won’t be wronged.”

“Elder brother needn’t worry about me. I have a way to achieve elder brother’s wishes at this palace banquet. Elder brother must also promise me one thing – don’t gamble your future on my happiness. For Ah Ruan, the higher elder brother rises, the safer you’ll be, and the more at ease I’ll feel.”

Jiang Xinzhi looked at her and nodded: “Alright, I promise you.”

At the Eighth Prince’s residence in the capital, Xuan Li was agitated, his usually gentle, affectionate eyes now radiating furious anger. Li Dong and his two sons had actually committed suicide from guilt in prison – with Li Dong’s nature, he would never do such a thing. But now his every move was under others’ watchful eyes. With the incident at the Prime Minister’s residence, the censors were all watching him like tigers, hoping he would make some mistake. The people he sent out hadn’t gathered any useful information either. Thinking of losing a good chess piece for no reason, Xuan Li felt his chest burn with frustration.

Though he had already planned to abandon the Prime Minister’s residence, it wasn’t supposed to be at this time. In his hands, he always squeezed out every last bit of value. Even if the Prime Minister’s residence was to be destroyed, it should be destroyed valuably, paving the way for his advancement. Who knew Li Dong and his sons would die inexplicably in prison with no way to prove anything? Those suspicions about him would become a thorn, deeply embedded in the emperor’s heart, impossible to remove.

How could this not infuriate him!

His subordinate came to report: “Your Highness, we’ve found out that Young Master Li originally intended to deal with Miss Jiang, but somehow attracted the officials instead, and even the Scarlet Thunder Army was completely destroyed.”

Jiang Ruan – it was Jiang Ruan again! Xuan Li suddenly stood up, then sat back down, feeling his chest constrict with frustration. Li An thought he had concealed the Scarlet Thunder Army’s true strength, but everything was actually within his grasp. He had planned to bring the Scarlet Thunder Army under his control at the right moment, but who knew that sudden changes would make it a hot potato that he could only watch being captured by officials.

Thinking of how several Scarlet Thunder Army locations had been suddenly destroyed that day, he couldn’t help but become suspicious. Those officials were all from the Zhao and Guan families. The Guan family aside, the Zhao family’s timing was also too coincidental. Now hearing his subordinate say Li An had originally intended to deal with Jiang Ruan, he gradually began to understand.

If Jiang Ruan had truly orchestrated all this, she was indeed terrifying.

He remembered when Li An hadn’t yet been arrested, during their casual conversation, Li An had said: “Miss Jiang’s intelligence is beyond ordinary people. If there’s a chance, Your Highness might consider bringing her under your wing. If not possible, you must kill her, or she’ll become a serious threat in the future.”

At the time he had scoffed, but now thinking back, his expression grew grave. What exactly had Li An been hinting at? And this time, if Li An had truly fallen into Jiang Ruan’s hands, then he needed to seriously reevaluate this Miss Jiang.

If Jiang Ruan’s intelligence surpassed even Li An’s, she would be excellent assistance. Anyway, he wanted to win over the Jiang and Xia families – marrying Jiang Ruan would be no different from marrying Jiang Susu. And with Jiang Susu’s reputation now ruined while Jiang Ruan was so clever… He thought of Jiang Ruan’s youthful but already alluring face, his heart stirred with desire, and he suddenly sighed with pleasure.

If she could be brought under his control, if she could be brought under his control… He suddenly smiled, sweeping away his previous gloomy expression: “Prepare – I’m going to the palace to see mother.”

Who would emerge victorious remained to be seen.