She raised her head and studied Ye Pei carefully once more. To her surprise, she found it impossible to connect the young boy before her with the child in her memories. Though still growing, the boy already carried an air of latent imperial majesty. His eyes were as clear as glass, yet unfathomably deep. His face always wore a bright smile—even when being scolded. His emotions were utterly unreadable; had this child already mastered such composure?
Noticing her gaze, Ye Pei smiled faintly. "So, it's not that this prince refuses to spare you—it's simply beyond my power." With that, he turned away calmly, the embroidered auspicious beasts on his robe sleeves baring their fangs as a dark glint flashed through the night. His voice drifted over with the wind under the moonlight, carrying a childish cruelty.
"Beat her to death."
The palace maid suddenly understood and screamed, "Your Highness, no—please—!" Her cries were quickly muffled into struggling whimpers as several burly matrons seized and dragged her away. The crowd remained silent, watching as the young prince turned back and seated himself on the chair by the door, utterly composed.
The courtyard was filled with eunuchs and maids of all sorts, nearly all of whom had bullied Ye Pei at some point. Now, they kept their eyes downcast, not daring to utter a word. Having witnessed Ye Pei's methods, they no longer dared entertain any rebellious thoughts—only fear remained.
The executed maid had been Ye Pei's personal attendant for years, but like many servants, she had grown arrogant and domineering. Backed by powerful connections, she had also served as a spy. Perhaps because she thought serving the obscure Thirteenth Prince held no future, she had acted without restraint. Since testifying for Jiang Ruan, Ye Pei's behavior had become unusual, yet the maid failed to notice and continued her insolence. Little did she expect Ye Pei would make her the first example, fabricating a pretext to have her beaten to death.
The onlookers had their own speculations, assuming the Thirteenth Prince—still a child under ten—would be soft-hearted. Moreover, the maid, despite her arrogance, had a silver tongue and often pleased Ye Pei, making it seem unlikely he would punish her. Who could have predicted the young master would act so decisively, delivering judgment without hesitation? The courtyard buzzed with renewed calculations—some pleased, others inwardly alarmed.
Ye Pei swept his gaze over the crowd with a smile. For some reason, meeting his eyes made them feel an oppressive pressure, as if they couldn't bear to look directly at him, cowed by his presence. Slowly, he spoke, "With one maid gone, you shall take her place as my personal attendant." He pointed casually at an unfamiliar maid in the crowd—a low-ranking servant assigned to his courtyard just two days prior. Suddenly promoted to first-rank maid, she immediately knelt gracefully. "This humble servant, Mingyue, thanks Your Highness for your grace."
The second-rank maids, who had hoped to seize the opportunity to advance themselves, were displeased at being outdone by a newcomer. They wanted to sneer, but one glance at Ye Pei's smiling face sent a chill down their spines. Realizing their young master was no longer the easily manipulated child of the past, they could only suppress their resentment and hold their tongues.Ye Pei waved his hand and looked at Mingyue, "You come in with me, the rest of you may leave."
The servants exchanged glances, a few palace maids glaring at Mingyue before reluctantly withdrawing. Ye Pei turned and entered the room, seating himself at the desk inside. Mingyue closed the door behind her and approached, standing before him. Only then did Ye Pei look up and ask, "Did Jinying Wang send you?"
Mingyue nodded.
Ye Pei frowned, "Meddling." His frown carried a childish petulance, more like a sulking child.
Mingyue thought for a moment, "Princess of Great Peace mentioned that Your Highness lacked someone skilled in martial arts by his side, so my master sent me here."
"It was her!" Ye Pei straightened up immediately. His small frame looked almost comical in the oversized chair, but his mood seemed excellent. "I knew Jinying Wang wouldn’t be so kind-hearted on his own. She’s the one with a good heart, always thoughtful."
What would be meddling if done by Xiao Shao was kindness and consideration when it came to Jiang Ruan—the difference couldn’t be more stark. Mingyue suppressed a laugh and said, "Your Highness and the Princess must share a special bond. Your mannerisms and expressions are seventy percent alike."
Hearing this, Ye Pei grew even more delighted, smiling as he narrowed his eyes. "Of course, she’s my..." He paused abruptly before continuing, "The one I helped testify for."
...
The inexplicable disappearance of Jiang Susu was eventually exposed. The dozen or so accompanying guards only realized something was amiss at dawn the next day when no one responded to their calls. Upon checking the carriage, they found only the dead body of a maid—the young mistress was nowhere to be seen.
When the panicked guards returned to the Minister’s residence to report the incident to Jiang Quan, he nearly fainted from rage. However, the guards made it clear that Jiang Susu had killed her personal maid, disguised herself as the maid, and escaped on her own—no one else was to blame. Jiang Quan’s own investigation confirmed this, leaving him with nothing to do but curse his "unfilial daughter." Yet, the scandal of a young mistress from a prominent family vanishing without a trace was far from respectable. The dozen guards could not be allowed to live, and Jiang Quan ordered their disposal. Perhaps sensing their unjust fate, the guards somehow managed to spread the story before their deaths, and soon the entire capital knew that Jiang Quan had lost his second daughter.
During this period, the Minister’s residence was at the center of a storm. Everywhere in the streets and alleys, people’s conversations revolved around the Jiang family. Jiang Quan was furious, but there was no way to silence the public. To make matters worse, Jiang Ruan had been taken by Xiao Shao to Brocade Hero King Manor or was accompanying Empress Dowager Yide in the palace—effectively cutting off any retaliation. Left with no recourse, Jiang Quan doubled his venting of anger on Hong Ying, who had recently miscarried. Already weak, Hong Ying endured daily beatings as Jiang Quan seemed intent on tormenting her to death. Knowing she had no way out, Hong Ying swallowed gold one night and took her own life.A concubine, and one who had fallen out of favor at that—dead was dead. Jiang Quan didn’t even bother to prepare a coffin for her, simply ordering the servants to roll her up in a tattered mat and toss her into the mass graves. Thus, a once-great beauty vanished like a wisp of fragrance, leaving behind nothing but an indescribable mix of pity and sorrow.
And so, within the vast Jiang residence, apart from the reclusive bedroom maid Lian Ye, there were no more concubines left. This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Quan, who often stood dazed in the courtyard, the stark contrast between the lively, coquettish voices of the past and the current desolate silence making it all the more apparent that the Jiang household was gradually crumbling.
The search for Jiang Susu had dragged on with no results, and even more anxious than Jiang Quan was Jiang Chao. Jiang Chao and Jiang Susu were siblings born of the same mother, and since Jiang Susu had been doted on since childhood, Jiang Chao naturally cherished her as well. Though furious at her impulsiveness, he still sought Ye Li’s help, mobilizing a group of men to search for Jiang Susu. Now that he was of use to Ye Li, and Ye Li had always played the part of a benevolent ruler who valued talent, he naturally spared no effort in assisting.
Ye Li’s men proved far more capable than the Jiang family’s servants. While Jiang Quan’s people were still clueless, Ye Li’s subordinates had already reported to Jiang Chao: “Young Master, we’ve found traces of the Second Miss Jiang.”
At the time, Jiang Chao was practicing calligraphy in his study, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t calm his mind, his strokes coming out crooked and shaky. Upon hearing the news, his hand jerked, and a large drop of ink splattered onto the pristine rice paper, blooming into a dark stain. He looked up urgently and demanded, “Where is she?”
“Well…” The guard hesitated, reluctant to speak. A terrible premonition surged in Jiang Chao’s chest, and without another thought, he grabbed the man by the collar and roared, “What happened?!”
“Young Master,” the guard stammered, startled by Jiang Chao’s reaction, and no longer dared to withhold the truth. “The scouts reported that the Second Miss was abducted by bandits… and it’s already been several days.”
With a sharp clack , Jiang Chao’s grip on his brush failed, and the exquisite white jade wolf-hair brush fell to the ground with a crisp sound, echoing unnervingly in the silent room. The guard felt the air around them thicken with dread, not daring to move or even lift his head to meet Jiang Chao’s gaze.
An unbearable silence stretched on before Jiang Chao’s voice finally cut through, laced with barely restrained fury: “Prepare the horses.”
“Young Master?” The guard was taken aback, but when he met Jiang Chao’s eyes, he froze. Those already somber eyes were now filled with a deep, seething hatred and madness, so intense that one could almost believe he was on the verge of destroying everything. Yet his expression remained eerily calm—so calm it was twisted. “Gather the men,” he said. “We’re going to rescue Second Sister.”
...
Sunlight in the deep mountains seemed to be swallowed by the dense canopy, leaving only scattered beams piercing through. The dilapidated village clung to the mountainside like a discarded bead, worn and blackened, yet stubbornly refusing to disappear.
The door creaked open. A woman stepped out.The woman wore a rough hemp garment altered from a man's clothing, its pant legs too long and rolled up halfway, revealing pale calves marred with bruises. Her arms and neck bore the same marks—the clothes were still too large for her, even after alterations. Her face was strikingly beautiful, with an ethereal, fairy-like grace, but exhaustion had aged her prematurely. Heavy dark circles under her eyes dulled her beauty. With fair skin and a slender figure, she could have outshone any crowd if dressed in fine clothes and adorned with care. But now, she was just a weary-looking peasant woman.
Carrying a basket, she walked out of the village and knelt by a nearby stream. She pulled out foul-smelling, liquor-stained clothes from the basket and began washing them slowly. Her delicate hands, unused to such labor, were soon chafed and reddened from the icy water. Yet she persisted, scrubbing methodically. This woman was none other than Jiang Susu.
Around her, many other women washed clothes by the river, all dressed in tattered garments. Some were pretty, others plain, but their expressions were identical—lifeless, numb, their eyes hollow, as if resigned to this existence.
The sun rose in the east but brought no warmth. Jiang Susu washed with quiet diligence, her eyes no longer holding the disdain and mockery of days past, replaced instead by a numb obedience.
These past few days had been hellish. In this village, women were mere appendages to men—tools for their pleasure, forced to cook, clean, and mend. Any misstep earned them beatings. Bandits had no mercy, whether the woman was a noble lady or a common girl. Displease them, and fists would fly. Every woman here had been struck.
But the worst came at night, when they were made to serve multiple men, treated worse than brothel workers. Even high-ranking courtesans had some dignity, but here, women had none. The men were beasts, driven only by lust. Few women survived long under such torment.
Escape had crossed their minds, but the villagers had ways of dealing with runaways—caught, beaten, locked up, and subjected to the same nightly horrors. Within days, Jiang Susu bore no unmarked skin. Among the women, she was the most beautiful, her skin the most delicate, and as the newest arrival, every man took an interest in her. Thus, her suffering was all the more severe.In such a place, those so-called Bewitchment techniques were utterly useless. While Bewitchment might be highly effective against the young masters of noble families, here in these wild mountains, it served no purpose other than to stir the beastly desires of men. These mountain bandits and wild outlaws knew nothing of cherishing beauty—their bones were filled with nothing but brutality and plunder. Thus, in a short span of time, Jiang Susu had withered away, almost becoming a different person.
After washing the clothes, she was about to return to the house to gather firewood and cook when, halfway there, she heard the thunderous sound of approaching hooves. The leader reined in his horse before her, dismounted, and called out, "Little sister!"
Jiang Susu lifted her head sluggishly, as if it took her a long moment to recognize the person before her. After a dazed pause, she murmured, "Brother."
Jiang Chao stared at her in disbelief. In his mind, Jiang Susu had always been an immaculate, celestial beauty, never a speck of dust on her. Who was this filthy, haggard woman reeking of foulness before him? Was this still his sister, the peerless beauty of the capital?
Jiang Susu blinked at him, her eyes suddenly reddening before two streams of tears rolled down her cheeks. Without another thought, she threw herself into Jiang Chao's arms, sobbing, "Brother, why did you take so long to come?"
The moment Jiang Susu embraced him, an overwhelming stench assaulted Jiang Chao's nostrils. The siblings had always lived a life of privilege in the Jiang household, looking down on the poor from the depths of their hearts, believing themselves superior. Already shocked by Jiang Susu's wretched state, Jiang Chao instinctively pushed her away—only to freeze when his hand caught sight of the red marks on her neck. His gaze fixed on them, unblinking.
(End of Chapter)
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