However, Dragonfly understood clearly in her heart that Jiang Quan's years of doting on Jiang Susu were genuine. Going to the temple to become a nun was merely a temporary measure. After all, Jiang Susu's reputation was ruined, and staying in the capital would do her no good. Once the rumors gradually died down, they could find an opportunity to bring Jiang Susu back to the mansion, and everything could start anew. Dragonfly had tried to persuade Jiang Susu with these words, but Jiang Susu simply refused to listen. Last night, Jiang Quan had drugged Jiang Susu's food, and when she woke up this morning, she was already in the carriage. There was no turning back now. After a bout of screaming and hitting, Jiang Susu had first teetered on the edge of collapse, but then, for some unknown reason, she gradually calmed down, though her expression became eerily cold.
Dragonfly didn’t think too much about it, assuming Jiang Susu had simply come to terms with the situation and understood the stakes. At least she had stopped making a scene.
Jiang Susu glanced at the porridge Dragonfly handed her and said, "I understand. Tell the guards to stay farther away. I don’t want to be around these servants."
Dragonfly thought for a moment, then stepped out of the carriage to instruct the guards to keep their distance. After all, there shouldn’t be any major dangers out here, and if anything did happen, the guards would still be able to react in time.
When Dragonfly returned to the carriage, Jiang Susu had already finished the porridge in her bowl and said to her, "It’s a bit crude, but you should have some too."
Dragonfly looked at Jiang Susu in surprise. Though she was Jiang Susu’s confidante and Jiang Susu had always been generous with her, Jiang Susu was inherently haughty by nature—she even looked down on Jiang Ruan, let alone a mere servant. For her to speak so calmly to Dragonfly now was truly astonishing.
"Don’t look at me like that," Jiang Susu lowered her head and said. "Now I’m just a nun in a temple, no longer the daughter of an official. There’s no difference in status between you and me."
Hearing this, Dragonfly assumed Jiang Susu was still resentful about the situation and quickly replied, "Miss, please don’t say such things. These hardships are only temporary. You will always be the legitimate daughter of the Minister’s household, and I will always be your servant."
Jiang Susu smiled faintly. "You speak well. Have some porridge—you’ve worked hard today accompanying me."
After repeated insistence, Dragonfly could no longer refuse and picked up the bowl to drink the porridge. Only after finishing did she notice Jiang Susu staring at her unblinkingly. The intensity of that gaze sent a chill down Dragonfly’s spine, and she asked softly, "Miss, is there something you need?"
Jiang Susu sighed. "Dragonfly, do you think I’m beautiful?"
"Of course you are, Miss. There isn’t another beauty in the entire capital who can compare to you," Dragonfly replied. This wasn’t flattery—Jiang Susu had always been stunning, and after practicing Bewitchment, she had become even more captivating.
"If I’m so beautiful, how can I become a nun?" Jiang Susu suddenly retorted.
"Miss…" Dragonfly was taken aback.
"I won’t become a nun," Jiang Susu said, her lips curling into an eerie smile. "With my beauty, I can surely find a place for myself—reach the highest position. How could I let such beauty go to waste?"
Dragonfly grew uneasy at Jiang Susu’s strange expression and tried to speak, but suddenly, her head felt heavy, and she collapsed onto the small table in the carriage. "Miss… you… you drugged me?"
"I won’t become a nun," Jiang Susu laughed.Dragonfly understood what she intended to do and mustered all her strength to cry out, "Help—"
Her voice was abruptly cut off. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Jiang Susu, whose dagger was dripping with fresh blood. With a forceful pull, Dragonfly's body crumpled to the ground. Her mouth gaped like a stranded fish, emitting only helpless, rasping sounds that formed no coherent words.
Jiang Susu didn’t even glance at her. "I had planned to spare your life out of consideration for your years of service, but you refused to appreciate my mercy. Truly, a dog blocking the path!"
With that, she began stripping Dragonfly of her outer garments.
The guards outside, hearing the commotion from a distance, moved to investigate when Jiang Susu’s sharp voice rang out, "Go on, take these away and dispose of them!"
Moments later, under the dim moonlight, Dragonfly emerged holding a tray. Seeing this, the guards returned to their seats, laughing and drinking, paying no further attention.
Jiang Susu ran for the time it takes an incense stick to burn before finally reaching the entrance of the forest ahead. Breathing a sigh of relief, she disgustedly peeled off the outer garment still stained with Dragonfly’s blood and tossed it aside, gripping the letter hidden in her sleeve tightly.
When she awoke earlier, she found an anonymous letter nailed inside her carriage. The letter professed long-held admiration for her and expressed unwillingness to see her sent to a temple, offering instead to become her protector and shelter her under his wing.
The faint scent of peach blossom ink on the paper suggested it was written by someone of noble standing, and the elegant handwriting further hinted at a cultured background. Though Jiang Susu didn’t know the sender’s identity, she surmised it must be a scion of an aristocratic family—likely one of her many former admirers. In the past, she would have dismissed such a letter with disdain, but now, even Jiang Quan had abandoned her. This offer was her lifeline. She was confident her beauty could captivate the man’s heart, and with time, she could climb her way up step by step—far better than becoming a nun. The sender had even included a dose of knockout drug, which she had used to execute her plan.
The letter instructed her to wait in the forest, but there was no sign of the promised savior. The moon was obscured, the wind howled, and the oppressive darkness unsettled Jiang Susu, filling her with growing fear.
Just as panic began to take hold, footsteps sounded behind her. Her heart leaped with hope as she turned eagerly and called out, "Is it you, my rescuer?"
The footsteps halted. Moonlight fell upon the figure, and Jiang Susu froze. The man before her was a middle-aged brute, his face marred by a terrifying scar running from forehead to eye. He smirked at her, revealing a knowing grin.
Her heart sank. She took two steps back and demanded, "Who are you?"
The man chuckled darkly. "What’s a little lady like you doing in the wilderness at this hour, waiting for a lover? Seems your sweetheart stood you up. How about I console you instead?"
Jiang Susu recoiled in horror, realizing this man couldn’t possibly be the letter’s sender. His rough clothing and menacing appearance made her legs tremble, but she forced herself to remain composed. "What do you want? Do you know who I am? My father is a high-ranking official in the capital. If you leave now, I won’t summon my guards."The man spat but didn't budge, instead giving a sinister smile. "When Scarface Li sets his eyes on something, it never gets away. Some high official from the capital? What kind of capital official raises such shameless young ladies? You must think I'm a country bumpkin. Little lady, even if you claim to be some damned princess today, this lord will still have his way with you!"
Seeing the man remained utterly unmoved and the promised young master from the letter still hadn't arrived, Jiang Susu panicked. She turned and ran outside, screaming for help at the top of her lungs. But in this desolate wilderness—having run so far to shake off her guards earlier—her cries merely drifted across the open fields beyond the woods before fading away. The next moment, a powerful force yanked her back. Caught off guard by the pull from behind, Jiang Susu was slapped hard across the face. This wasn't Jiang Quan; the man showed no mercy, and the brutal strike nearly knocked her unconscious, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
The man looked her up and down and suddenly laughed. "Feisty too, and so pretty. Good! Today's my lucky day! I'll take you back to the mountain—we'll have our wedding night tonight!" Ignoring her weak struggles, he threw her over his shoulder and carried her into the woods.
Only after the man had taken Jiang Susu away did another figure emerge from the forest. Under the moonlight, his features were clear—it was Ye Feng. He whistled softly, knowing the task Jiang Ruan had assigned him was complete. The letter today had merely been delivered to Jiang Susu through him at Jiang Ruan's behest. As for why this stretch of wilderness and woods was a nightly thoroughfare for bandits returning to their hideout—Ye Feng, being a Brocade-clad Guard, was well aware, but he had no idea how Jiang Ruan, a sheltered young woman, had come by such knowledge. Still, he couldn't help but admire her foresight. Perhaps because she and Jiang Susu were both daughters of the Jiang household, Jiang Ruan had Jiang Susu's temperament down pat. She had known that upon reading the letter, Jiang Susu would inevitably flee, doing everything possible to avoid becoming a nun.
Ye Feng sighed inwardly—Jiang Ruan's method was truly diabolical. She had given Jiang Susu hope, only for Jiang Susu to watch that hope shatter before her eyes. The devastation was unimaginable. Jiang Ruan hadn't arranged for Jiang Susu to be kidnapped outright; she had merely nudged events along, orchestrating a series of coincidences. Even if Jiang Quan eventually investigated, all he would uncover was that Jiang Susu had fled the carriage of her own accord. As for Jiang Susu's fate—it was entirely of her own making. Would she later look back on this and regret it to the point of despair?
What kind of man was that bandit? Crude and rough, utterly incapable of treating a woman gently. Once Jiang Susu entered the bandits' den, she would be surrounded by wolves. Those bandits were notoriously brutal with women, and Jiang Susu, with her proud nature, would never meekly submit. The consequences of angering such men—Ye Feng could only sigh for Jiang Susu at the thought.
There were countless ways to torment a person, but the rarest was complete psychological destruction. Jiang Susu had been desperate to climb into high society and live a privileged life. Yet once she entered the bandits' lair, escape would be nearly impossible. Forced to live in squalor day after day—wasn't that more agonizing than any physical punishment?Ye Feng stood in the biting cold wind, unable to suppress a shiver. He thought to himself that this future young mistress was truly formidable—her ability to kill without shedding blood was truly masterful. In the future, he must serve her with utmost caution and never provoke her. Even without their master taking her side, the young mistress alone could easily outmaneuver everyone in the Brocade Hero King Manor.
After standing there for a while, Ye Feng suddenly seemed to remember something and quickly took off. Several miles away, in a hidden cave, a young woman sat glaring at him angrily. Seeing him return, she finally relaxed slightly, but her first question was: "Is the task done?"
Ye Feng gave Lianqiao a surprised look. He had expected her first words to be scolding, but instead, she was concerned about the mission. He snapped his fingers. "Of course it's done." The night wind in the wilderness was strong, and Lianqiao, dressed only in a thin emerald-green dress, couldn't help but sneeze. Seeing this, Ye Feng felt a faint pang of guilt. Truth be told, he had acted impulsively today—directly abducting Lianqiao and dragging her along. Unable to return to the manor and afraid of delaying Jiang Ruan's affairs, Lianqiao had no choice but to entrust the letter to him. To prove he was capable of handling such a simple task, Ye Feng had stubbornly ignored Lianqiao's protests and brought her along.
Lianqiao was still rubbing her nose when she suddenly felt warmth envelop her. Looking up, she saw Ye Feng draping his outer robe over her shoulders. "Ahem, today was my fault. I dragged you into this," he said.
Lianqiao turned her face away, muttering a quiet curse, but her cheeks flushed slightly. Seeing this, Ye Feng also felt awkward, and the atmosphere in the cave suddenly became strange. Clearing his throat, he said, "Let's go. Back to the manor."
When the two returned to the Brocade Hero King Manor, Lianqiao had just stepped into the courtyard when Luzhu hurried over, scrutinizing her from head to toe. Only after confirming she was unharmed did Luzhu sigh in relief. "Where have you been? Why are you only returning now?"
Zisu, noticing Ye Feng standing outside the courtyard, gave Lianqiao a thoughtful look before saying softly, "Let's go inside first and talk."
Once back in the room, Lianqiao recounted the day's events in detail to Jiang Ruan. At the end, she added, "Miss, today's matter was entirely my own doing. Please punish me."
"It's not your fault," Jiang Ruan said. "Ye Feng could have handled it just as well. After all, he's Xiao Shao's man."
Lianqiao hesitated before continuing, "Ye Feng only wanted to help me. Please don't blame him, Miss. At least the task was completed..."
"I won't blame him," Jiang Ruan replied, amused. "Since it's done, there's no issue. Rest early."
Luzhu, however, grinned at Lianqiao. "Sister Lianqiao, you're really concerned about Ye Feng, huh? Why are you defending him at every turn? Could it be you're feeling sorry for him?"
"You little wretch! How dare you spout nonsense in front of Miss? I'll tear your mouth apart!" Lianqiao was anything but meek and immediately retorted sharply. "And who's the one always laughing and cozying up to Jin Er? I saw you embroidering a handkerchief today—was that for Jin Er?"
"You—!" Luzhu, both embarrassed and flustered, made a move to hit her. The two bickered noisily in the room. Perhaps because the day's task had gone smoothly, a faint smile also appeared on Jiang Ruan's lips.
...The night was as dark as ink. Deep in the mountains and ancient forests, there lay a village where voices could still be heard, mingled with raucous clamor and vulgar curses. A group of bare-chested men squatted by the entrance, scattered wine jugs littering the ground. Amid the overwhelming stench of alcohol, one of them spoke up, "Heard Scarface Li brought back a young woman today? She’s quite a looker, ain’t she?"
These men were all middle-aged, their bodies bearing various scars from blades and swords, their faces twisted into ferocious expressions. Reeking of sweat and liquor, they were revolting enough to make one’s stomach churn.
"Damn right. Dunno what luck he stumbled upon. She looked like some noble lady," another chimed in. "What a waste on him!"
"Noble lady my ass," a portly man wiped the sweat from his brow. "Heard Scarface Li caught her sneaking off to meet her lover. If she’s already pledged herself to someone, how pure could she be?" He flashed a lewd grin. "He’s just getting the first taste. Once he’s had his fill, we’ll all get a turn!"
At this, the others exchanged knowing smirks.
This was a bandit den nestled deep in the mountains. The village was populated entirely by men like these—brutish outlaws—with not a single elder or child in sight. Of course, there were also women abducted from outside. These women held no status here, treated as mere objects to be passed around, often forced to serve multiple men at once. As a result, their lifespans here were short—no one could endure such inhuman torment. The men frequently descended the mountain to bring back new women, a routine occurrence that no one batted an eye at. However, a woman of such striking beauty and refined bearing as today’s catch was rare, and Scarface Li’s good fortune had stirred envy among the others, who now gathered to vent their petty jealousy.
In a dilapidated hut within the village, after a series of unsettling sounds, a sharp snap echoed as someone lit the oil lamp with a tinder. The dim light flickered to life, revealing a filthy wooden bed covered by a thin, foul-smelling blanket, now stained with blotches of filth. A woman lay sprawled on top of it.
Her eyes were vacant, her body arranged in an indecent posture, yet she didn’t move a muscle—utterly drained from the ordeal.
Scarface Li sat up, pulling on his clothes while eyeing Jiang Susu on the bed, his face twisted with the satisfaction of Gluttony.
Jiang Susu seemed to finally regain her senses. With great effort, she turned her head away and spat viciously at Scarface Li.
Enraged, he immediately swung a backhanded slap at her. The brute’s strength was terrifying—her head jerked to the side, sweat-soaked hair plastered to her cheeks. The metallic tang of blood filled her mouth once more.
"You filthy whore, don’t push your luck!" Scarface Li snarled, gripping her chin with brutal force. "Such a pretty face—I’d like to enjoy it a while longer!"
"Wishful thinking," Jiang Susu sneered. Even now, her defiance hadn’t softened in the slightest. Her eyes burned with hatred, as if she longed to skin him alive and feast on his flesh. "When my father finds me, none of you will be spared!"The hatred in Jiang Susu's eyes instantly enraged Scarface Li. Without another word, he slapped her again: "Still dreaming! There’s been no shortage of noble ladies who’ve ended up here! Seems you still haven’t come to your senses, little miss. Once you’ve given yourself to me today, even if your high-ranking official father finds you later, do you think he’d still accept you? Rich families are the most selfish—I’ve seen plenty of it. In the end, they’ll just pretend not to know you. And you dare put on airs in front of me? Seems you haven’t learned your lesson!" With a cold snort, he didn’t even glance at Jiang Susu again, grabbing his clothes from the table and storming out.
Alone on the bed, Jiang Susu lay silently as two streams of tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn’t understand how things had come to this. The young master who was supposed to rescue her never appeared, and instead, she had been dragged back to this den of thieves by these bandits. Just recalling what had happened moments ago made her entire body tremble uncontrollably. Scarface Li was a devil—brutal in his actions, and he had taken her by force. Jiang Susu shut her eyes in agony, clutching the sheets beneath her. Living like this now, with no hope of escape, becoming the captive of such a man—she might as well have become a nun in a temple.
And Scarface Li’s words had indeed pierced her heart. It was true. Once a daughter of a wealthy family suffered such a fate—kidnapped by bandits—her life was as good as ruined. Even if she were eventually brought back, most would simply give her a fatal pill. The woman would find her own release, the family would avoid becoming a laughingstock, and their reputation would remain intact.
If it were her... if it were her... Jiang Susu shuddered inwardly. What would Jiang Quan do? Most likely, he wouldn’t have the courage to acknowledge her and would turn away as if she were a stranger. Had this happened a few years ago, Jiang Susu would have firmly believed Jiang Quan would move heaven and earth to save her. But after the incident with Xia Yan, after Jiang Quan had forced her to consider becoming a nun, a rift had formed in her heart toward him. Jiang Quan was so selfish, caring only for the Jiang family’s reputation—would he really go to any lengths for her?
Lost in these chaotic thoughts, her body still wracked with pain, she suddenly heard the door being kicked open violently. Thinking Scarface Li had returned, Jiang Susu trembled instantly. But when she turned her head, she saw several unfamiliar, bare-chested men striding toward her, their eyes gleaming with an unsettling light.
"Y-you... what do you want?" Jiang Susu’s heart lurched, her lips quivering as she spoke.
The leader grinned darkly. "Don’t be scared, little miss. We’re very gentle."
"N-no..." Jiang Susu tried to flee, but her body had long been drained of strength by Scarface Li’s torment. Despair washed over her face.
...
Elsewhere, fate wove its own threads. In a corner of the palace, within the courtyard where the Thirteenth Prince resided, Ye Pei stood with his hands behind his back, his cold gaze fixed on the kneeling palace maid below.
The eunuchs and maids surrounding them didn’t dare even breathe, their heads bowed motionless. The maid on the floor continued to plead tearfully: "Thirteenth Prince, this servant was momentarily bewitched—I’ll never dare again! I beg Your Highness to spare my life, for the sake of all the years I’ve served you..."Two palace maids stood on either side holding lanterns. Under the heavy night sky, the delicate child standing between them appeared somewhat somber in the lantern light. His features seemed even more exquisitely carved, like the mythical Wealth-Bringing Boy from folktales. Yet beneath that sweet and charming exterior, his eyes were as still as an ancient well. When the palace maid raised her head and met the child's gaze, she was instantly startled by those cold, eerie eyes. It felt as though a vengeful ghost had crawled up from hell to demand retribution from its murderer.
Ye Pei slowly glanced at her and said, "Is that so? Precisely because of this, a servant who has served me for many years harbors such disloyalty. If I spare you, I will never be able to establish discipline in the future. My father, the Emperor, values discipline above all else."
The palace maid looked at Ye Pei with disbelief, unsure whether he was truly foolish or merely pretending. If he were truly foolish, how could he have so effortlessly exposed her as a spy? But if he were pretending, knowing full well she was sent by that side, how did he dare to punish her so boldly?
Having accompanied this seemingly incompetent Thirteenth Prince for so many years, she had always believed she had him firmly under her control, even frequently scolding and berating him since childhood. Yet, unbeknownst to her, at some point, the child had changed completely—no longer cowering behind others but instead becoming someone to be feared.
It seemed the shift had begun on the day Jiang Ruan intervened for Ye Pei in front of Princess Heyi. The maid couldn’t understand why such a trivial incident could alter him so profoundly. Or perhaps, Ye Pei had been pretending all along, and that incident was merely the catalyst—now, he had decided to cast off his mask and reveal his true self?
(End of Chapter)
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