Baozhi Hall was the largest pharmacy in the capital. Businesses valued credibility above all—lying would be tantamount to ruining their own reputation. If Xia Yan had indeed purchased medicine for post-miscarriage recovery, Baozhi Hall’s records would confirm it.
The man, still seething, reached to drag Xia Yan up from the floor. "You vile woman, come with me to the magistrate!" But Xia Yan had already descended into madness, her mind unhinged, rendering any reasoning impossible.
"Enough!" Jiang Quan finally roared, his eyes bloodshot and his cheeks trembling with barely contained fury. The truth of Xia Yan’s prior miscarriage was now undeniable, but what gnawed at him even more was the owner of those clothes. With Xia Yan in no state to answer, he coldly ordered, "Take Madam back to her room and keep her under close watch!"
This amounted to house arrest. Xia Cheng, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, cast a desperate glance at Ye Li before chasing after Jiang Quan. "Father-in-law, this matter—"
With the spectacle over, Shen Rou and Xia Jiao Jiao saw no reason to linger. Xia Jiao Jiao was bitterly disappointed that Jiang Ruan had escaped unscathed, while Jiang Li and Second Madam were secretly delighted. Having observed Jiang Quan for years, they knew Xia Yan’s chances of recovery were slim.
Hong Ying left to console Jiang Quan, leaving only Jiang Ruan and Jiang Susu in the hall. Jiang Susu stepped toward her sister, her face dark with malice. "Another masterpiece of yours today. Da Jiejie’s methods remain as sharp as ever."
"Aren’t you curious why Mother suddenly lost her mind?" Jiang Ruan asked quietly, her gaze steady.
Jiang Susu faltered. "What?"
Jiang Ruan smiled—a chilling sight to Jiang Susu—before glancing at the bloody mess on the floor. "Because... that placenta was something Mother herself discarded."
...
Thus, the storm subsided, leaving its instigator to bear the consequences.
Back at Ruan Residence, Lianqiao spat in disdain. "Serves her right! How dare that black-hearted wretch scheme against you? Let’s see what excuses she has now!"
Zisu tended to the swelling bruise on Jiang Ruan’s face, her touch gentle but her voice tight with anger. "The master struck far too harshly. How could he strike his own daughter—a legitimate young lady of the house—with such force in front of outsiders?" Both she and Lianqiao now understood: Jiang Quan held no paternal affection for Jiang Ruan, and their words brimmed with reproach.
Tianzhu watched silently. As a martial artist, she recognized the brutality behind that slap. It was her first real glimpse of Jiang Quan’s callousness toward his own flesh and blood—a cruelty rare even in this world.
Noticing Tianzhu’s distraction, Jiang Ruan said to Zisu, "Tend to Tianzhu’s injuries as well." Tianzhu had taken Jiang Quan’s blow in her stead, and it must have been severe. But Tianzhu declined. "No need. As a servant, if my face heals too quickly, it might raise suspicions."
After a pause, Jiang Ruan relented but promised, "You won’t suffer that slap in vain."
Tianzhu said nothing.The night passed, and the next day, Luzhu returned with news from outside. Jiang Quan had sent someone to confront Bao Zhi Tang, and just as the middle-aged physician had said, Xia Yan had indeed dispatched her personal maid to purchase medicine for post-miscarriage recovery. Naturally, Jiang Quan was furious. He had Lin Lang and Fei Cui seized and interrogated harshly to uncover the identity of Xia Yan’s lover. The maids, of course, could not name anyone. In his rage, Jiang Quan had them both beaten to death and their bodies discarded in the mass graves.
Lin Lang and Fei Cui had been prominent maids in the Jiang household, yet they met such a tragic end. For a time, fear spread among the servants. In his fury, Jiang Quan arrested all the maids and matrons of Delicate Splendor Courtyard, torturing them to extract the name of the adulterer. Unable to endure the torment, one finally confessed it was a wandering scholar who had already left the capital.
This confirmed Xia Yan’s infidelity. Overcome with rage, Jiang Quan sought to divorce her. However, Jiang Susu knelt outside his study all night, and Jiang Chao, upon learning of the matter, hastily invited Ye Li to plead for Xia Yan. Though the Xia family also found the situation disgraceful, Xia Yan was the linchpin of the Jiang-Xia alliance. After much deliberation, Jiang Quan relented on the divorce but did not let Xia Yan off lightly. He confined her to a small Buddhist shrine within the estate, forcing her to chant scriptures and abstain from meat daily. To the outside world, it was said she was devoted to Buddhist practice—effectively placing her under house arrest.
From then on, the Jiang household underwent a dramatic shift. Everyone knew Xia Yan had lost Jiang Quan’s favor completely and was now powerless. Those with any sense began secretly currying favor with Fifth Madam Hong Ying, while others bet on Second Madam, hovering around Jiang Li and her mother.
Hong Ying was young and beautiful, enjoying Jiang Quan’s affection, but she lacked a son and her status was too low. Second Madam had the advantage of family support and had borne Jiang Quan a daughter. The power dynamics within the household became increasingly murky.
Luzhu pursed her lips as she combed Jiang Ruan’s hair. "Why is no one in this household smart enough to see the obvious? If I were them, I’d be trying to win your favor, miss. You’re the legitimate eldest daughter and a county princess personally ennobled by the Empress Dowager. How could those mere concubines compare?"
Jiang Ruan glanced at her. "So you’re saying you’re the clever one?"
Luzhu chuckled awkwardly. "That’s not what I meant. But those people are truly foolish. I can’t stand watching them."
Jiang Ruan smiled faintly. The reason everyone fawned over Fifth Madam and Second Madam while ignoring her, the legitimate eldest daughter, was simple: Jiang Quan’s open disdain for her was unmistakable. Even the servants could see it. What future could a daughter abandoned by her own father possibly have?
Once Luzhu finished styling her hair and secured the final hairpin, Jiang Ruan stood. "Let’s go. We’ll pay Mother a visit."
…
News of Xia Yan’s downfall reached Jiang Ruan, and naturally, it also reached the "ascetic" Jiang Dan.
A maid remarked, "Who would have thought Madam would end up like this?"Jiang Dan rested her chin on one hand while gazing out the window with the other. Compared to her still-childish appearance three years ago, she now exuded a unique youthful beauty after coming of age. At first glance, she possessed a gentle and docile charm, distinct from Jiang Ruan's allure and Jiang Susu's delicate grace. Yet at this moment, her slightly gloomy expression made her seem like a completely different person from her usual timid demeanor.
"Trying to scheme against Jiang Ruan, but too stupid to pull it off," she sneered.
The maidservant immediately fell silent. Over these three years, her young mistress had become increasingly unpredictable in mood swings, as if she had aged ten years overnight. Sometimes, even her personal maid would feel a chill down her spine when meeting Jiang Dan's gaze.
"What a pity. Such a grand setup, yet only Madam Jiang was brought down in the end." Jiang Dan's tone turned icy. "Why didn't they manage to harm Jiang Ruan too? How wonderful it would be if she were dead."
The maid trembled with fear, keeping her head bowed and staring fixedly at her toes, wishing she could vanish from the room.
Noticing the maid's reaction from the corner of her eye, Jiang Dan curled her lips into a mocking smile before turning back to gaze at the plantains outside the window.
...
"Young Mistress, please slow down," Dragonfly gently patted Jiang Susu's back as she retched violently, fingers clawing at her throat.
Ever since Xia Yan's incident, Jiang Susu had been vomiting everything she ate. Had the maids not known the truth, they might have mistaken it for morning sickness.
Jiang Susu shoved Dragonfly away, covering her mouth with a handkerchief as she snapped, "Get out!"
Dragonfly had no choice but to retreat with the silver tray. Leaning against the chair, Jiang Susu felt her stomach churning violently. Jiang Ruan's words from that day echoed in her ears again: Because that placenta was personally discarded by Mother.
Only by understanding Jiang Ruan's implication could one grasp the horror of those words. Jiang Susu wished she could tear out her own stomach. The mere thought of what she had consumed made her retch uncontrollably.
That wretched Butterfly! To have procured such a placenta! Jiang Susu had already tortured her severely before throwing her out of the mansion—such deeds could never be tolerated. These past few nights, Jiang Susu had been plagued by nightmares, waking up screaming and drenched in sweat, consumed by unease. Picking up a bronze mirror, she saw that her once peerless beauty had faded, her face now haggard and wan.
"Wretched creature!" She hurled the mirror to the ground, her brows furrowed with agitation.
...
The newly refurbished prayer room in the Jiang residence was in name only—in reality, it was just a decrepit, dark chamber in the most remote corner of the estate. The courtyard contained only a dilapidated well and a few withered trees, exuding an eerie gloom as if untouched by sunlight all year round.
Two dark-skinned matrons guarded the entrance, chatting idly while cracking melon seeds. Their conversation likely concerned the occupant of the prayer room, as they occasionally glanced back with disdainful looks.
Jiang Ruan arrived with Tianzhu and Zisu just in time to witness this scene. At the sight of Jiang Ruan, the two matrons scrambled to their feet, abandoning their melon seeds as they bowed obsequiously in greeting.The events of the past few days had already spread like wildfire among the servants in the mansion. Originally, Xia Yan had seized the initiative, but she was unexpectedly outmaneuvered by this seemingly unremarkable legitimate eldest daughter, Jiang Ruan, and ended up in her current predicament. The servants were not blind; they could clearly see the dynamics between their masters. It was evident that this eldest daughter's methods were far more sophisticated than the madam's. Moreover, considering that Jiang Ruan was now a favorite of the Empress Dowager, dealing with a mere servant in the mansion would be as easy as turning her hand. Thus, even though they knew Jiang Quan disliked this legitimate daughter, no one dared to look down on Jiang Ruan, and they remained respectful in their daily interactions.
Jiang Ruan smiled faintly and waved her hand, saying, "I came to see Mother." Zisu then stepped forward and handed two pouches filled with silver fragments to the two matrons.
The two matrons subtly weighed the pouches in their hands, and their faces immediately lit up with joy. "Eldest Miss, there's no need for such courtesy. If you wish to come, just say the word. This old servant will open the door for you right away." With that, they took out the iron keys hanging around their necks and unlocked the door.
Only then did the group see clearly that the door had been reinforced with an additional layer of iron, and the latch was on the outside. This was a blatant act of locking Xia Yan inside.
After opening the door, the two matrons stepped aside. Jiang Ruan entered with Tianzhu, while Zisu remained outside the door. The matrons understood and retreated to a distance where they could no longer hear the conversation inside.
The room was pitch black, with only a small window that had been nailed shut with wooden planks. There was nothing inside.
Xia Yan had already heard Jiang Ruan's voice from the window but pretended not to notice. Tianzhu lit an oil lamp, illuminating the room clearly. There was only a wooden bed covered with a thin, damp, and dirty blanket, a wooden table, a straw prayer mat, an altar, and a clay statue of Guanyin. Xia Yan knelt on the straw mat, her eyes closed, as if she were truly immersed in prayer.
Jiang Ruan sat down on the only chair by the wooden table and surveyed her surroundings. It seemed Jiang Quan had indeed been furious with Xia Yan. The conditions here were almost comparable to the "home" she had endured in the village. The wheel of fortune had turned. When Xia Yan had instructed Zhang Lan to "entertain" Jiang Ruan in such a manner, had she ever imagined she would one day find herself in the same situation?
Xia Yan's legs had gone numb from kneeling, her knees aching and itching. The room was damp and poorly ventilated, and when it rained, the cold seeped into her bones. In just a few days, she had developed rheumatism. Moreover, Jiang Quan had issued strict orders forbidding anyone from visiting. Today, a visitor had finally come, but it was her nemesis, Jiang Ruan.
Xia Yan had initially intended to ignore Jiang Ruan, but the latter was too composed, sitting quietly in the room without saying a word. Unable to bear the discomfort in her legs any longer, Xia Yan finally opened her eyes and said flatly, "What are you doing here?"
Jiang Ruan smiled at her. "After three days apart, one should look at a person with new eyes. Mother, after just a few days of self-cultivation here, you seem to have acquired a touch of Buddhist serenity, appearing much more detached and at ease."Xia Yan was furious. She tried desperately to maintain the poised and elegant demeanor of the refined gentlewoman she had always been. But as she looked down at herself, her clothes were stained with grease and dirt, appearing sticky and grimy. Confined in this place, she could no longer bathe daily as she used to, and her body reeked of foul odor. Her once-proud long hair was now a tangled, matted mess, with knots in between. As for her face... even with her eyes closed, Xia Yan could imagine how hideous she must look now.
Under Jiang Ruan's smiling gaze, Xia Yan felt as though she had been stripped naked and thrown into the streets for public scrutiny. This feeling was unbearable to her.
She raised her head to look at Jiang Ruan. Dressed in a delicate begonia-colored embroidered gown, with jet-black hair, snow-white skin, and lips red as cherries, Jiang Ruan seemed to radiate a brilliant glow even in the dim, dark room. This radiance made it seem as though she wasn’t merely sitting at a wooden table, but upon the most exalted throne in the world. Her smiling gaze looked down upon Xia Yan like one would regard an ant in the dust—full of mockery.
Xia Yan trembled all over. The more radiant Jiang Ruan appeared, the more wretched she felt. In this moment, Xia Yan was reminded of the scene many years ago when she first met Zhao Mei.
Many years ago, Xia Yan had been celebrated as a talented gentlewoman in the capital, renowned for her poetry and painting. She excelled in needlework, music, and chess, captivating the hearts of men and arousing the envy of women.
Yet, she could not marry into an official’s household as a wife, simply because her father was a concubine-born son, which lowered her own status. The nobles and generals could take her as a concubine, but never as a wife.
The most unbearable thing in life is not the fading of beauty or the graying of youth, but having everything yet being forced to bow beneath others due to inferior status. The young Xia Yan, with ambitions as high as the sky, was determined to secure a prestigious marriage. It was then that she met Jiang Quan. Jiang Quan was a rising star in the court, elegant and handsome, exuding charm. They shared mutual affection, but in the end, he was not to marry her.
Xia Yan had once caught a distant glimpse of Zhao Mei. At the time, Jiang Quan had just told her he was to marry the Zhao family’s young lady. Xia Yan sneaked to the gates of the General's Residence and saw that carefree, radiant girl. Dressed in fluttering red robes, her eyes brimming with pure joy, it was clear she had been coddled in sweetness since childhood, adored by her father and brothers. A complex emotion surged in Xia Yan’s heart.
She thought, Why is it that some people effortlessly obtain everything others yearn for, while what I desire remains forever out of reach?
She was jealous—so jealous it drove her mad. She wished this sheltered young lady could taste the bitterness of crawling in the dirt as she had. She wanted to drag her into the mire, where she would never see the light of day again. She wanted those smiling eyes to lose their joy forever, to watch her wither slowly, to make her witness the cruelest and most vicious things in the world, until she groveled at her feet, weeping in despair.
On that very day, Xia Yan changed her mind. She decided that even as a concubine, she would enter the Jiang household—not for anything else, but to twist and torment that pure, happy soul into misery.She had succeeded—Zhao Mei entered the household, Zhao Mei fell out of favor, Zhao Mei was bullied by the servants, and the children Zhao Mei bore would never receive Jiang Quan's affection. Until Zhao Mei's death, Xia Yan thought she had trampled Zhao Mei underfoot for life. Yet now, as she watched Jiang Ruan in her crimson robes seated in the dim light, the look in her eyes was no longer the pure smile of the past but a penetrating mockery, as if laughing at the overreach of a clownish fool.
Xia Yan let out a shriek and lunged at Jiang Ruan, wanting to claw at that face. But Tianzhu was faster, delivering a swift kick that shattered Xia Yan's kneecap. Xia Yan collapsed heavily, kneeling before Jiang Ruan.
Jiang Ruan gazed at her coolly and said, "Madam Jiang, how does it feel to fall into hell?"
Xia Yan froze, then suddenly burst into wild laughter, pointing at Jiang Ruan's nose. "You wretch! Just like your shameless mother!"
With a sharp smack , Tianzhu handed over a handkerchief. Jiang Ruan wiped her hands lightly and smiled at the stunned Xia Yan. "Mother, careless words invite trouble."
Xia Yan gritted her teeth, then suddenly chuckled lowly. Having nothing left to lose, she sneered, "Does that anger you? Little whore, seems you’re quite protective of your short-lived mother. Pity you didn’t see her sobbing and begging me to spare you and your brother before she died—how pathetic."
Jiang Ruan’s eyes flickered slightly, but she remained silent. Xia Yan pressed on, "Hmph, you don’t know how your mother died, do you? Back then, her health was failing. I urged the master to show her some concern, so he ordered the kitchen to send her tonic. That fool was overjoyed to receive something from him and drank it without a second thought—never realizing it was poison." Xia Yan cackled. "But I left no trace, because it wasn’t me who poisoned her. Guess who did?"
Jiang Ruan’s heart stirred, but her expression remained blank. Xia Yan laughed first, as if recalling something hilarious. "It was Jiang Dan! Hahaha! I merely threatened her a little, and she was so terrified she slipped poison into Zhao Mei’s bowl every day. Zhao Mei, who prided herself on kindness, never realized she’d raised a viper in her own nest! But later, I discovered something even funnier—Jiang Dan also poisoned you ." She roared with laughter. "Because I told her Zhao Mei’s kindness was just an act, that you were her real daughter, and she’d never treat Jiang Dan the same. If you died, Jiang Xin Zhi would have only her as a sister, and Zhao Mei would take her as her own. Jiang Dan believed me and seized every chance to lace your tea and pastries with poison. Hahaha! Jiang Dan was the cruelest of all—you treated her so well, yet she wished you dead. Aren’t you disappointed? Doesn’t it break your heart?"
Tianzhu glanced at Jiang Ruan in surprise, but the latter showed no reaction, as if Xia Yan’s words had never reached her. She merely said calmly, "Thank you, Madam Jiang. So that’s the story."Xia Yan had already begun to laugh hysterically, bordering on madness: "Now that I'm trapped in this place, I admit defeat—my skills are no match for yours, and I have no hope of escaping. But what about you? That bitch Zhao Mei has already gone to hell, and the master despises you. Sooner or later, you and your ill-fated brother will meet the same miserable end! There are plenty of people in this mansion who want you dead. Be careful—one day, you might end up in hell without even knowing who killed you!"
Jiang Ruan smiled gently. "Whether I go to hell or not has nothing to do with you, Madam Jiang. But whether you can go to hell—that, I know very well."
Xia Yan froze, eyeing Jiang Ruan warily.
Jiang Ruan sighed. "Madam Jiang thinks that since she's been confined to this small prayer hall, she has no hope left in this life. You must be pinning all your remaining expectations on Second Sister and Second Brother. But have you considered this—if word gets out that the legal wife committed adultery and framed the legitimate daughter, how will Second Brother ever hold his head up among his peers in the capital? What respectable family would ever want to marry Second Sister? You know better than anyone how crucial a mother's reputation is to her children's future."
Xia Yan trembled. It was true—if news of her affair and schemes spread, how would Jiang Chao's colleagues view him? Who would dare marry Jiang Susu? The disgrace of a legal mother would taint her children irreparably. She jerked her head up. "How would outsiders know? The master would never let such shameful family matters spread!" she shrieked. Jiang Quan doted on his children too much to air their dirty laundry in public—if this got out, his own reputation would be ruined beyond repair.
Jiang Ruan's smile grew even gentler. "Loose lips sink ships, Madam Jiang. There are no walls without cracks—how can you be so sure the truth won't slip out?"
"It's you... it's you..." Xia Yan stared at Jiang Ruan as if she were a malevolent ghost. "You're the one trying to harm them..."
"The one harming them is you, not me," Jiang Ruan met her gaze and enunciated each word clearly.
Xia Yan suddenly dropped to her knees before Jiang Ruan and began kowtowing frantically. "I beg you, don't harm them. Please, save them. After all, they're your siblings. It's all my fault—just direct your hatred at me. They're innocent."
Xia Yan kowtowed dozens of times, but Jiang Ruan remained unmoved. Finally, Xia Yan raised her head, a flash of resolve in her eyes, and sneered, "If you're determined to spread this, then go ahead and do it."
"Madam Jiang, are you thinking that ending your own life would solve everything?" Jiang Ruan said softly.
Xia Yan looked at her in terror. Yes, that was exactly what she had thought. If Jiang Ruan insisted on exposing this matter, she would hang herself—death would silence all, and outsiders could no longer use this to tarnish Jiang Susu and Jiang Chao's reputations. She was already ruined, and her only wish in life was for Jiang Susu and Jiang Chao to live comfortably. Yet Jiang Ruan seemed to read her mind like a worm in her gut, exposing her thoughts with a single sentence.
Jiang Ruan smiled. "Madam Jiang's devotion to her children is truly touching. But I wonder if Second Sister and Second Brother would feel the same way about you?" She leaned closer, locking eyes with Xia Yan. "I think Second Sister and Second Brother would be ashamed and resentful to have a mother like you. If Madam Jiang doesn't end her own life, they'll surely find a way to erase your existence, because to them, you're nothing but a stain." She watched Xia Yan's horrified expression with delight. "When the time comes and Madam Jiang sees her own children trying to erase her, it will surely break her heart. Though I wonder—who will strike first? Second Sister, or Second Brother?"
(End of Chapter)
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