Time passed quickly. On the day of Princess Yongning and Shen Yurun’s execution, Jiang Li finished her meal early and prepared to go out. When Jiang Yuanbai learned she also wanted to attend the execution, he hesitated before finally saying, “It will be frightening. You shouldn’t go watch.”

“It’s fine. I won’t watch the execution itself—I’ll just stand outside and observe,” Jiang Li smiled. “I’m also venting anger on Third Sister’s behalf.”

Jiang Yuanbai felt even more guilty. He didn’t plan to attend the execution. Perhaps because of Princess Yongning’s case, Emperor Hongxiao felt guilty toward him and had been summoning him frequently these past few days. When sovereign and minister conversed, there were even some traces of their past frank and honest relationship.

However, whether this was imperial manipulation or genuine sincerity, Jiang Yuanbai himself couldn’t say clearly. Serving the emperor was like accompanying a tiger—he didn’t dare be the least bit careless. He still had to do what needed doing and wouldn’t lower his guard or allow himself to make mistakes because of Emperor Hongxiao’s sudden friendliness.

However, Jiang Youyao had gone mad, and today the instigator would be executed. He himself wasn’t going to watch, yet he was letting Jiang Li—who had always been made difficult by Jiang Youyao—go watch instead. Jiang Yuanbai couldn’t express the complex feelings in his heart.

Fortunately, Jiang Li didn’t dwell on this matter with him. After bidding farewell to Jiang Yuanbai, she went out. Jiang Li knew that today Ye Mingyu and the others would also bring Xue Huaiyuan to observe the execution, but Jiang Li didn’t tell them she would be going to watch as well.

She still hadn’t figured out how to face Xue Huaiyuan. The next time she saw him, Jiang Li planned to reveal the truth and tell Xue Huaiyuan that she was Xue Fangfei. She knew it would certainly be very difficult for Xue Huaiyuan to suddenly accept this, so she needed to think of some gentle phrasing. But before thinking it through, she couldn’t see Xue Huaiyuan yet. She feared that in her excitement she would blurt it out directly, feared frightening Xue Huaiyuan, and feared Xue Huaiyuan wouldn’t believe her at all. She had been tangled up thinking about this matter these past few days.

Bai Xue and Tong’er helped Jiang Li onto the carriage.

On Yanjing City’s streets, far fewer people were walking about today. Most had run to the execution ground to watch the excitement—one was the formerly proud top scholar, the young and accomplished Palace Writer, and the other was Prince Cheng’s sister, a genuine golden branch and jade leaf, the current princess. Yet they had jointly committed such outrageous crimes. Common people always loved watching excitement and all wanted to see these two pay the price.

When Jiang Li’s carriage reached the execution ground, it could go no further. The common people and carriages watching the excitement had completely blocked the road. Bai Xue and Tong’er had to use silver to clear the way. After taking the silver, the common people were naturally accommodating and made way one after another, allowing the carriage to move a bit further in—at least now they could see the two people on the execution platform.

Princess Yongning and Shen Yurun wore filthy prisoner’s garments, their hair disheveled, no longer showing any of their former refinement and delicacy. They were no different from other death row prisoners. Even more so, they were inferior to other death row prisoners. Because the righteous and indignant common people had already spontaneously brought vegetable baskets and continuously threw eggs and vegetable leaves at their heads and bodies—extremely wretched.

Shen Yurun probably never imagined he would have such a day.

Jiang Li thought that even in such circumstances, Princess Yongning should still maintain her arrogant and domineering nature, cursing loudly. But today she surprisingly didn’t say a single word, her head drooping, not even her expression visible. Meanwhile, Shen Yurun was still gentle, or rather numbly facing everything before him. His gaze wandered through the crowd as if searching for someone.

Knowing he couldn’t see her, Jiang Li still stepped back and hid behind Bai Xue. She suddenly found it amusing—back when Xue Fangfei was killed by Princess Yongning, Shen Yurun had been right outside the door, witnessing it with his own eyes yet standing by with folded arms, watching helplessly as she journeyed to the Yellow Springs. Now that Shen Yurun was about to die, she had become the bystander, seeing him off on his final journey.

The affairs of the mortal world truly were a strange cycle.

Suddenly, a woman’s wailing cry came, interspersed with cursing. Following the sound, Jiang Li saw a familiar figure—it was Madam Shen.

Madam Shen collapsed crying before the execution platform, wailing “My son!” while cursing Princess Yongning. Jiang Li heard her curses clearly—Madam Shen cursed that Shen Yurun originally had a bright future but was implicated by Princess Yongning, that promiscuous woman. She even brought up Xue Fangfei, saying how kind, virtuous, capable, and considerate her former daughter-in-law Xue Fangfei had been, yet was killed by Princess Yongning’s vicious methods and the blame pinned on Shen Yurun.

Madam Shen’s pain wasn’t fake, because she only had this one son, Shen Yurun. She had raised him through hardship, and the whole family’s hopes rested on Shen Yurun. And Shen Yurun hadn’t disappointed—he truly became a high official. It was just unexpected that even people stumble and horses miss their footing. Madam Shen was accustomed to shirking all responsibility onto others. Since Princess Yongning was now useless, she naturally had to blame everything on Princess Yongning.

Jiang Li sneered inwardly. Madam Shen was now making a scene recklessly without regard. Due to various reasons, Prince Cheng and Consort Liu hadn’t been able to save Princess Yongning, but that didn’t mean they truly didn’t care about her. That Princess Yongning had fallen to such a state—for Consort Liu and Prince Cheng, it was precisely because of Shen Yurun. Without Shen Yurun, none of the later events would have occurred. Madam Shen was transferring her anger to Princess Yongning, but Consort Liu would also transfer her anger to the Shen family. Shen Yurun would be dead, and Madam Shen’s wild cursing would naturally also anger Consort Liu.

After the execution, Madam Shen probably wouldn’t live much longer either. Consort Liu was already furious with Shen Yurun—how could she allow an ordinary woman to insult her only daughter?

If Shen Yurun still had his mother in his heart, he should speak up now and remind Madam Shen. While Madam Shen might not listen to others’ words, she would at least somewhat heed Shen Yurun’s words.

But Shen Yurun didn’t. He only continued searching through the crowd, blankly, hopelessly, persistently, over and over again. His gaze was so obvious that many people noticed it and exchanged glances, thinking he was looking for someone to break him out of the execution, waiting for rescuers to arrive.

But there was nothing. Nothing at all. No rescuers, and the person Shen Yurun expected didn’t appear either.

Until the moment arrived.

The executioner stood behind Shen Yurun. The blade rose and fell, silver light flashed—with a rolling motion, a line of fresh blood sprayed on the ground. The round head rolled down, covered in mud, nothing distinguishable.

Princess Yongning beside Shen Yurun screamed once, as if finally understanding fear. She screamed “No!”—but before she could finish, death’s blade followed immediately.

The crowd suddenly erupted in cheers, as if they had achieved something tremendous.

Jiang Li lowered her eyes, expressionlessly turned, and walked away. Everything was over.

…

No matter how shocking the “Top Scholar Murders Wife” case was, with Princess Yongning and Shen Yurun’s execution, everything seemed to end.

In teahouses and wine shops along the streets, people would still discuss this matter, sighing over the innocence and pitifulness of Xue Fangfei and her brother. But those discussing it were slowly decreasing.

Good people had obtained the opportunity for vindication, and villains had been brought to justice. This seemed to be the perfect ending. Everything in spring began bustling again—farmers busied themselves with sowing, children began attending school and learning new characters. Everything was flourishing.

Jiang Li’s days also passed in daily tranquility. After resolving this matter, she sometimes didn’t know what she should do. Like an ordinary young lady, staying home embroidering and writing, living peacefully and contentedly, until one day a suitable marriage arrived and she would don wedding clothes and marry, bearing children for her husband and managing household affairs—this seemed to be the conclusion to the second half of her life.

But Jiang Li was unwilling to do so. When she was Xue Fangfei, she had already done these things once, exhausting all her energy and life. She truly didn’t have the courage to do it again. Moreover, regarding marriage, Jiang Li was resistant. As a daughter of the Chief Minister’s household, it was highly likely Jiang Yuanbai would marry her to some young talent she had barely met a few times who only seemed decent on the surface. Back then, she had known Shen Yurun and thought she understood him very well, only to finally discover she had never truly understood him—let alone someone she had barely approached a few times.

But she also couldn’t refuse this fate. She was now Miss Jiang, the Chief Minister’s daughter. No matter how willful she was, in the matter of marriage, she feared she couldn’t break free from destiny.

Jiang Li still frequently went to the Ye family. Xue Huaiyuan was still staying with the Ye family. Although he had mentioned several times wanting to return to Xiangyang’s Tongxiang, Ye Shijie earnestly urged him to stay. On one hand, from Xue Huaiyuan, Ye Shijie could obtain many suggestions about being an official, greatly benefiting his future career. On the other hand, Prince Cheng likely still bore grudges against Xue Huaiyuan, and letting Xue Huaiyuan travel alone would probably be dangerous.

Ye Mingyu promised Xue Huaiyuan that when he returned to Xiangyang at year’s end, he would definitely bring Xue Huaiyuan along. As for this year, he would first have Xue Huaiyuan stay at the Ye family in Yanjing City. Xue Huaiyuan believed the Ye family had shown great kindness in vindicating the Xue family, so it was difficult to refuse, and he agreed.

This relieved Jiang Li.

She frequently went to the Ye family—on the surface to see Ye Mingyu, but in reality wanting to spend more time with Xue Huaiyuan. After this case, Xue Huaiyuan had become calm and gentle. He was no longer that sometimes stern, sometimes loving father from before, but like an ordinary old man. He hadn’t fallen into despair. On ordinary days at the Ye family, he read books and practiced calligraphy, passing his time quite leisurely, seemingly not grief-stricken over the Xue family’s tragedy.

But Jiang Li knew full well that true sorrow wasn’t spoken aloud. She conversed casually with Xue Huaiyuan, and several times the words “I am Xue Fangfei” had already reached her lips, yet she couldn’t say them.

She also had her fears, her moments of unease. What if she spoke and Xue Huaiyuan refused to believe? She truly couldn’t bear the scene of being denied by her father.

At that moment, she surprisingly found herself missing Ji Heng intensely. If only Xue Huaiyuan could be like Ji Heng—believing deeply in supernatural matters, or rather, believing deeply in what she said—that would be best.

Ji Heng… Jiang Li lowered her eyes. Prince Cheng’s rebellion was imminent. These past days, Ji Heng must have many matters to attend to. But since that day when he learned her identity, they had no further contact. Not just her and Ji Heng—even Zhao Ke had disappeared from the Jiang family. Jiang Li didn’t want to inquire about a gardener, lest it draw others’ attention, but Zhao Ke truly hadn’t appeared again.

This was perhaps evidence of Ji Heng wanting to draw clear boundaries with her, Jiang Li thought, and couldn’t help but smile bitterly. This man truly was extremely unfeeling—when helping, he seemed like the closest of friends, but once the transaction ended, they each went their separate ways, as if even the slightest connection had to be severed completely clean.

But this was also good.

Just as she was thinking this, Tong’er came in from outside, saying, “Miss, this servant just returned from outside the manor and heard about something.”

“What matter?” Jiang Li asked.

“The Heir of Marquis Ningyuan divorced his wife!”

“Zhou Yanbang divorced his wife? Shen Ruyun?” Jiang Li was stunned. “Why?”

“Naturally because the Shen family had an incident.” Tong’er spoke carelessly, “When the Heir of Marquis Ningyuan married Miss Shen back then, wasn’t it because Miss Shen’s older brother was a Palace Writer, to give the Shen family an explanation? Now that Shen Yurun has had his head chopped off and the Shen family is nothing, Miss Shen naturally has no use. If she still sat in the position of heir’s wife, the Marquis Ningyuan Manor would certainly be laughed at. The people of Marquis Ningyuan Manor are so selfish—of course they would quickly divorce her.”

Tong’er brooded over how Marquis Ningyuan Manor had broken off the engagement back then, nearly causing Jiang Li’s death. When speaking of Marquis Ningyuan Manor, she spared no effort at sarcasm. Jiang Li smiled, “You’re right.”

The people of Marquis Ningyuan Manor probably still dreamed of Zhou Yanbang recovering his official career. This way, they could conveniently kick out Shen Ruyun and seek another daughter from a powerful family. Jiang Li thought—to say Jiang Yu’e hadn’t meddled in this, she didn’t believe it. Jiang Yu’e must have seized this opportunity to constantly fan the flames, causing Shen Ruyun’s downfall so quickly.

“What about after?” Jiang Li asked. “What happened to Shen Ruyun?”

Tong’er shook her head. “The Top Scholar’s Manor no longer exists. I heard Shen Ruyun found Madam Shen, and the two women went to wealthy families they had been friendly with to request help… But Miss, you know, the Shen family is steeped in evil—who would dare help them? Everyone avoids them like the plague. They were thoroughly rejected and who knows where they are now!”

Jiang Li smiled slightly. “I see.” Shen Ruyun and Madam Shen had ultimately been destroyed by their own greed. Speaking of it, if they had quit while ahead back then, or simply let Shen Yurun climb up step by step—though slower, they would ultimately have possessed much. Unlike now, impoverished and destitute overnight, worse than before, like rats crossing the street that everyone shouts to beat.

This was retribution.

Not wanting to think about these matters anymore, Jiang Li said, “Forget it. Henceforth, Marquis Ningyuan Manor’s affairs have nothing to do with us.”

As for the remaining Jiang Yu’e at Marquis Ningyuan Manor—whether she was proud or disappointed—those were all matters very, very far from her.

Her own affairs were still not entirely sorted out.