Chapter 27: Before Departure
"Zisu," Jiang Ruan nodded toward the two chests. "Apart from what Mother left behind, take everything else to the pawnshop and exchange it all for silver notes. It's best to convert everything into banknotes."
"Young Miss," Zisu was somewhat startled. "All of it? Those are all your belongings..."
"Used items—what's the point of keeping them?" Jiang Ruan sat down at the table and slowly poured herself a cup of tea. Ever since Zhang Lan's incident, the maids in the estate had become fearful of Jiang Ruan, and the tea they served was all freshly harvested this year.
"At least keep a few sets of clothes," Zisu said. "We'll be returning to the capital in a few days. Dressing like this wouldn't be appropriate."
"If I don't dress like this, how would Father feel sorry for me?" Jiang Ruan replied indifferently. Her expression remained unchanged, but her gaze turned icy.
Zisu was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to respond. Just as she hesitated, Lianqiao pushed the door open, carrying a basket of freshly washed fruits and vegetables. Having overheard their conversation, she chimed in, "Exactly! If we stick to the old clothes, wouldn't that just be keeping up appearances while suffering inside? Wouldn't it be uncomfortable for Young Miss to force herself? Besides, Zisu, don’t forget—those clothes don’t even fit Young Miss anymore. Haven’t you noticed even Chen Fang stopped wearing them?"
Zisu thought it over and realized she was right. Without further hesitation, she knelt down and carefully sorted out Zhao Mei's remaining belongings. The rest were ordered to be carried out and exchanged for silver at the pawnshop.
After Zisu left, Lianqiao packed away the books into a chest while hesitantly saying, "Young Miss, today when I was outside, I heard something..."
Before she could finish, the door was suddenly kicked open with a loud bang. Chen Fang stormed in aggressively, demanding without preamble, "Miss, why did you do this to my mother?"
"How dare you!" Lianqiao stood up angrily. "Who gave you the audacity to shout at Young Miss like this?"
Chen Fang didn’t back down, raising her voice. "Miss, I respect you as my mistress, but in all these years you’ve been at the estate, hasn’t my mother taken good care of you? Without her, how could you be where you are today? My brother has also treated you well—why did you frame him and land him in prison? Miss, you have such a cruel heart!"
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Lianqiao fumed. "Framed? It was Chen Zhao’s own fault for trying to set up our Young Miss!"
"Lianqiao," Jiang Ruan stopped her, then turned to Chen Fang with a faint smile. "Miss Chen, are you mistaken? Wasn’t it you who landed Chen Zhao in prison?"
"What do you mean?" Chen Fang frowned.
"Miss Chen, have you forgotten? Over ten days ago, you invited me to see that 'Beauty Under the Moon' flower." Jiang Ruan picked up her teacup, blew away the floating tea leaves, and took a small sip. "Come to think of it, it was that very flower that brought your brother and Chunying together."
At first, Chen Fang didn’t understand what Jiang Ruan was saying, but when she heard the last sentence, she jolted in shock and exclaimed in disbelief, "You did it on purpose? Chunying going there—that was your doing?"
"What do you think?" Jiang Ruan countered.
"No... that’s impossible..." Chen Fang stared at her in fear. "Even if you lured Chunying there, how could you have known what would happen afterward? You couldn’t have calculated things to this extent—are you some kind of demon...?""Perhaps I am the demon you speak of? You harmed your brother, and your brother harmed your mother, so don’t blame me." Jiang Ruan smiled at her, the scalding tea staining her lips a deep red. With her jet-black hair and snow-white skin, the smile on her lips was as bewitching as a malevolent spirit. Chen Fang stumbled back a few steps, shaking her head. "No, I don’t believe it, no..." Seemingly overcome with terror, she turned and fled.
Lianqiao frowned. "What madness is this? Everything she eats and wears comes from you, yet she dares to treat you this way and spout such nonsense. Truly, her heart is clouded with greed—disgusting!"
Jiang Ruan replied, "Hasn’t she already faced retribution? Everything in this world has its cause and effect. The suffering of Zhang Lan’s family today is the fruit of the seeds they sowed in the past."
Lianqiao laughed. "You’re so clever, miss. Look how frightened she was—our young lady sees everything with divine clarity."
Jiang Ruan chuckled softly. In her past life, among those who harmed her, in the palace, in moments of despair and helplessness, she had learned one thing: patience. If there was a scheme, it must be pursued slowly, using every available tool. Now, all of it came to her effortlessly. Thinking back, she asked, "What was it you wanted to tell me earlier?"
"Well..." Lianqiao bit her lip. "Rumors about the master are spreading everywhere. They say he fails to govern his household properly, allowing the eldest daughter of Lord Jiang’s household to be bullied on the estate." She cautiously studied Jiang Ruan’s expression, only to see a faint smile curl on her lips. "Oh?"
If the rumors were already this rampant on the estate, naturally, the capital would also be abuzz with the tale, savoring it as idle gossip. Everyone spoke of Lord Jiang’s outwardly kind but inwardly cold nature, while praising the noble wisdom of the Jiang family’s eldest daughter. The gates of the Jiang residence remained tightly shut, with not even a servant or maid seen stepping out for errands.
Inside the Jiang residence, Jiang Quan slammed a memorial onto his desk, his face dark with fury. "Outrageous!"
"Master," A woman in a pink silk dress embroidered with lilies entered, her skirt fluttering like petals as she moved. Her hair was styled in a loose chignon adorned with pearls from the South Sea, exuding elegance and grace. With delicate brows and almond-shaped eyes, she carried an air of gentle refinement, her scholarly aura unmistakable despite her matronly attire. She set down a food basket and approached, taking Jiang Quan’s hand. "Don’t let anger harm your health, master."
At the sight of her, some of the gloom lifted from Jiang Quan’s face, though his voice remained thick with rage. "Look at what these memorials say! They accuse me of failing to govern my household, neglecting my eldest daughter, turning a blind eye for six years, and being a cold-blooded hypocrite! The Emperor has ordered me to reflect at home—now I’ve become a laughingstock in court! Zhao Mei, this is the daughter you raised!"
"It’s not Sister’s fault," Xia Yan hurriedly interjected. "Ruan couldn’t have done this intentionally. But given the situation, master, perhaps it’s best to bring her back to dispel the Emperor’s suspicions. I’ll arrange for preparations at once."
"No need," Jiang Quan waved a hand, his eyes shadowed with malice. "Imperial Censor Wang has already arranged a carriage to escort her back to the capital."
The journey from the estate to the capital could take two to three days. True to his advocacy for frugality, Imperial Censor Wang declined the comfortable sedan chair Qian Wanli had arranged, opting instead for two simple carriages. Jiang Ruan’s three trunks had already been reduced to two—one sold for silver notes, the other filled with books—saving considerable space.Among the maids accompanying her, besides Zisu and Lianqiao, Luzhu was also brought along. Before departure, Luzhu volunteered to serve Jiang Ruan. Originally, Jiang Ruan had intended to have Xiaoyuan follow as well, as these two maids were clever and exceptionally bold. However, Xiaoyuan, being born into the household, was unwilling to leave her parents and politely declined Jiang Ruan's kind offer. Jiang Ruan did not insist and left her a sum of silver as repayment for her past assistance.
(End of Chapter)
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