Ye Lang slowly sheathed his sword, his usually timid and mediocre eyes now gleaming with an unprecedented excitement, an oddly unsettling sight. Like a mouse that had caught sight of a delicious feast, it was inexplicably repulsive. Had anyone passed by, they would have been shocked, for Ye Lang's expression at this moment was as if he had been possessed by a demon—an entirely different person. Meanwhile, Ye Li took a slight step back, as though afraid of staining his robe with blood, though his expression remained unchanged.
The blood slowly spread, soaking through Princess Heyi's sleeve. The "evidence" hidden within was also stained red, the ink gradually blurring and dissolving. By the end, even the seal would likely be illegible. Princess Heyi's eyes widened in disbelief—perhaps she had never expected that this useless prince, whom she had never taken seriously, would ultimately take her life. Or perhaps she hadn't imagined that this exquisite garden would become her final resting place.
The last thing she saw was the pristine hems of the two men before her, a stark contrast to her own bloodied, sticky body.
The last thing she heard was Ye Li's calm inquiry: "How did she find this place?"
...
Beneath the bamboo pavilion, their subordinates concealed Princess Heyi's body and cleaned the bloodstains from the ground. Inside, Ye Li and Ye Lang sat at the table, their expressions no longer as composed as before.
"I just want to know how she found this place," Ye Li said, staring at Ye Lang.
Though this place was deep within the palace, its twists and secrets were not something just anyone could uncover. If one took any other path, they would inevitably encounter the guards at the gates. The fact that Princess Heyi had walked in unimpeded meant she hadn't encountered any guards—proof that she had taken a path known only to their own people. And Princess Heyi was clearly not one of them. There must be a traitor among them.
This place was highly confidential, where Ye Li and Ye Lang usually met to discuss matters. That was why, upon encountering Princess Heyi today, both had immediately decided to kill her. Though the location appeared to be nothing more than a secluded, abandoned consort's courtyard, if others in the palace learned the two had been here together, it would inevitably raise suspicions.
Ye Lang was startled. "Eighth Brother, you can't possibly suspect me?" He seemed at a loss for how to explain. "I swear I didn't—why would I tell her about this?"
"I didn't say it was you," Ye Li waved his hand dismissively. "But is there anyone else around you who knows of this place?"
Ye Lang shook his head. "Aside from the guards you assigned me, no one knows of this place. I find it strange too—for He Yi to suddenly appear here. If it was by accident, it’s far too coincidental." He paused, a flicker of regret crossing his face. "I should have questioned her about how she got here earlier."
But in the heat of the moment, he had lost control, impulsively killing Princess Heyi. Now, he felt a pang of remorse and fear. But what was done could not be undone—she was already dead, and there was no use dwelling on it.
"There's something off about this whole thing," Ye Li narrowed his eyes. "Heyi's sudden disappearance will undoubtedly raise suspicions in the palace. There's only one way to avoid drawing suspicion to ourselves.""What method?" Ye Lang was taken aback.
"Divert the trouble onto someone else," Ye Li smiled faintly. "Princess Heyi was murdered, but not by us. Whoever in the palace had a grudge against her must be the killer. If we can use this to remove a thorn in our side, her death would serve a purpose."
Ye Lang's eyes lit up. Indeed, hiding Princess Heyi's body in the palace was unsafe, and secretly transporting it out would be no easy task. At this point, they could only find a scapegoat—but not just any scapegoat. The best scenario would be killing two birds with one stone: getting rid of the hot potato while also eliminating a major threat. As Ye Lang pondered, a cold, detached figure suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"I know," he said excitedly. "Eighth Brother, I have the perfect candidate."
"Oh?" Ye Li's gaze flickered. "Do tell."
"This method, I guarantee, will satisfy Eighth Brother far more than simply finding a scapegoat. We can use He Yi to fulfill one of your wishes."
Ye Lang chuckled softly, grabbing a sheet of paper in front of him and beginning to write.
...
Tianzhu returned to Princess Hall, setting down the flower basket in her hand. It was indeed filled to the brim with petals, which she then poured into a wooden basin and began washing meticulously.
"How can you still have the heart to do this at a time like this?" Luzhu snatched the basin away, tugging at Tianzhu's sleeve as she pulled her toward the inner chambers. "The young lady is waiting for your report."
Tianzhu shrugged. As a subordinate, it was her duty to fulfill her mistress's orders. Jiang Ruan had instructed her not only to guide someone but also to gather these petals. She couldn't neglect one task for the other—whether big or small, they were all tasks assigned by her mistress.
Inside, Jiang Ruan was sorting the petals she had picked earlier. Empress Dowager Yide had been in good spirits lately and had specifically asked her to learn how to blend a few bottles of incense. In her past life, thanks to Ye Li, she had learned a bit about it while in the palace, so it wasn't difficult. Now, it came in handy.
"Young lady, the path has been guided as instructed," Tianzhu reported. "This subordinate personally witnessed Princess Heyi enter the garden. After waiting for an hour without seeing her emerge, I followed your orders and went to Bramble Bamboo Garden to gather some petals."
Earlier, Jiang Ruan had instructed Luzhu to investigate Princess Heyi's recent movements in Shufang Palace. The moment they learned that Princess Heyi had left Shufang Palace early that day, she had Tianzhu dress as a palace maid, carrying a flower basket to "coincidentally" meet the princess. Then, Tianzhu was to "be followed," subtly guiding Princess Heyi along the designated path.
She hadn't explained her reasons to the maids, and Luzhu and the others didn't fully understand the purpose, only sensing it was something of great importance. But Tianzhu, being a martial artist, had been called into Jiang Ruan's chambers earlier and given a map. As she followed the route, she realized just how ingeniously it had been designed.Jiang Ruan had led Princess Heyi to that garden, which was clearly an extremely secret and confidential place. The path Jiang Ruan took her through avoided all the guards. Such a garden appeared open and aboveboard, but in reality, it was very difficult to truly enter. There were multiple branching paths, and those paths further branched out, making it incredibly hard to reach the actual destination. Taking one wrong turn would lead to encountering guards who would report the intrusion, alerting the master of the place. Even if some important figure managed to get inside by sheer luck, they would find nothing but an ordinary garden, with no other incriminating evidence to be found.
This was, in fact, a very bold secret chamber—bold in how it was brazenly exposed in plain sight, yet secret in how, despite being in a public garden, almost no one except its master could enter.
And Jiang Ruan had obviously known about this garden’s existence long ago, even the most convenient path to take. Leading Princess Heyi there spoke volumes about the danger of the place. If it had been one of their own, Jiang Ruan wouldn’t have needed to use such a method—meaning her strategy of "killing with a borrowed knife" was truly brilliant.
Tianzhu didn’t understand how Jiang Ruan knew about this secret chamber and its passages. She felt her new mistress carried many secrets. She thought that even the Brocade-clad Guards responsible for the palace’s hidden pathways might not know the complete layout of this place.
Luzhu couldn’t help but ask, “Miss, why exactly one hour? Sister Tianzhu returned before the hour was up.”
“One hour is enough.” Jiang Ruan’s gaze remained fixed on the petals before her, which looked even more vibrant after being washed. She said, “Killing someone only takes the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. The rest is just for cleaning up.”
“Killing?” Luzhu gasped, then quickly covered her mouth, silently scolding herself for her outburst. She lowered her voice and asked, “Princess Heyi… was killed?”
Jiang Ruan glanced at her. “With her temperament, if she hasn’t come out by now, she must be dead.” She had known this from the start—no one who entered that place ever left unharmed unless they were one of their own.
Luzhu looked at Jiang Ruan, then at Tianzhu, and suddenly understood. “Miss, you did this on purpose. You knew Princess Heyi would die if she went in, so you had Sister Tianzhu lead her there?”
“Yes.” Jiang Ruan gathered each type of petal into a small wooden box and turned to look at her. “I had it all planned out long ago.”
Luzhu couldn’t quite describe the feeling in her heart. For a moment, she thought her mistress was truly terrifying. Jiang Ruan noticed her faintly fearful gaze but merely smiled indifferently, which instead made Luzhu feel a little guilty. She reminded herself that Princess Heyi had constantly caused trouble for Jiang Ruan, sometimes even wishing for her death. Striking first was better—it prevented future complications. Luzhu had a resilient mindset and quickly shook off her earlier unease. She asked Jiang Ruan, “But how did you know the princess would die if she went there? And what kind of place is it?”
What kind of place? Jiang Ruan paused slightly, her thoughts drifting far away.
Ye Li was someone who prided himself on being refined and cultured. Even when discussing sinister plots, he insisted on doing so in a place of scenic beauty. That garden, for instance, was something he took great pride in.Simply because it was both bold and ingenious, something ordinary people could hardly find. In her previous life, Ye Li had taken her there a few times. Thinking about it now, Ye Li had truly spared no effort in grooming a pawn—so approachable, considerate, and gentle, even revealing his secret hideout to her. It was hard not to trust him.
That place was Ye Li’s secret stronghold, where he often met with Ye Lang. The few times Ye Li had taken her there, they had used paths known only to his inner circle. Perhaps he thought that, being a woman, her memory wasn’t remarkable enough to warrant caution. Little did he know that growing up on the estate, she had learned to recognize which mountain paths led to valuable herbs, honing her sense of direction. Even a single trip was enough for her to memorize the route, let alone several visits.
Since her rebirth in this life, those memories, now stained with blood and vengeance, had grown even clearer. She had meticulously recorded every useful detail, including Ye Li’s secret chamber in the palace.
She had long drawn a map, believing it would come in handy someday. She just hadn’t expected that day to arrive so soon. She knew that once Princess Heyi learned of Xiao Shao’s betrothal, she would inevitably try to strike. The Princess Hall was impenetrable, leaving only the Bramble Bamboo Garden as a vulnerable target. By sending Tianzhu (Nandina) to the Bramble Bamboo Garden under false pretenses and leading Princess Heyi to the secret chamber, Ye Li would surely be driven to kill upon discovery.
Even if Ye Li didn’t act, Princess Heyi was arrogant and domineering, looking down on everyone. While she might fear Ye Li, she would undoubtedly hurl abuse at Ye Lang. Having endured humiliation for years, Ye Lang, now on the cusp of achieving his grand ambitions, would be swollen with pride. Princess Heyi’s very existence would serve as a constant reminder of his past disgrace. Under such provocation, Ye Lang would inevitably add fuel to the fire.
Even if Princess Heyi didn’t want to die, it would be nearly impossible for her to survive.
The plan seemed simple, but every step was fraught with peril. A single misstep could lead to total failure. From Ye Li’s arrogance to Princess Heyi’s fury and Ye Lang’s brooding resentment, every move hinged on predicting the shifts in human nature. Had she not spent so many years in the palace in her past life, gaining an uncanny understanding of these people’s minds, she would never have dared to set this trap.
Princess Heyi wouldn’t die by Ye Li’s hand, nor Ye Lang’s, nor hers—she would perish by the whims of human nature. The human heart is strange, capable of both good and evil in an instant. Princess Heyi likely never imagined that her path to death would be guided by an obscure palace maid—one carefully planted by her adversary.
Jiang Ruan lowered her eyes faintly. The tactics of Princess Heyi and Consort Shu were nothing new; she had seen them many years ago. Even with her eyes closed, she could guess their schemes.
But this wasn’t just any matter—it involved Jiang Xin Zhi. Even if the entire Shu family were sacrificed, it would still be too lenient, let alone a mere Princess Heyi.
Outside, Luzhu glanced at Tianzhu (Nandina) and asked, “Will you tell Lord Xiao about this?”
Since Xiao Shao was so attentive to Jiang Ruan’s affairs, and now that she had taken matters into her own hands to deal with Princess Heyi, there might be complications later. Having Xiao Shao’s protection would make things much easier.
Tianzhu shook her head. “The young mistress ordered me not to.”"Then you won't say anything?" Luzhu asked curiously. Although Tianzhu addressed Jiang Ruan respectfully as "young mistress," she was actually Xiao Shao's subordinate and had to report everything to him. Hearing her speak like this now was quite unexpected for Luzhu.
"My young mistress is my master, and I follow only her orders," Tianzhu replied without changing her expression. Ever since Jiang Ruan had risked herself to shield Xiao Shao once again, Tianzhu had truly recognized her as her master, with no further hesitation.
Luzhu rolled her eyes, genuinely happy for Jiang Ruan. No matter what, it was a good thing that Tianzhu had been won over and now pledged loyalty solely to her.
Tianzhu averted her gaze, her mind turning over certain thoughts. More importantly, as a subordinate, besides protecting her master, she also needed to place full trust in her. Xiao Shao couldn’t be everywhere at once, and with his imminent departure for battle, Jiang Ruan would eventually have to face these dangers alone. The Brocade Hero King Manor didn’t need a weak mistress—she had to be strong enough to stand by Xiao Shao’s side.
This matter might very well be a test, depending on how Jiang Ruan handled it.
...
Far from the capital, in a rural estate a thousand miles away, stood a three-courtyard farmhouse. The innermost room was filthy, as if no one had entered it for a long time.
A gaunt woman hurried through the courtyard carrying a basket. As she passed the last room, she kicked the door open with one foot.
Inside, the air was thick with the stench of damp decay. The woman lit a lamp, revealing a figure curled up in the corner. At the sudden light, the person seemed terrified, quickly covering their face with their hands and lowering their head, as if afraid the brightness would reach their eyes.
(End of Chapter)
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