Peace and happiness? It's merely four words when spoken, but how many can truly achieve them? Her entire life had been lived for revenge; peace and happiness were already an unattainable mirage.
"You must become an official, elder brother," Jiang Ruan said. "Only then can you trample them all underfoot, make them respect you, fear you, and dare not bully you—then they won’t bully me either. Elder brother, don’t worry about me. I’ve made it through all these years. I can protect myself, and I can protect you too."
Jiang Xin Zhi looked at her. "A Ruan, are you hiding something from me? Why must you stay in the Jiang residence?" Why had his sister’s temperament changed so drastically? Why was she entangled with court affairs? Jiang Xin Zhi had just returned to the capital, his mind in utter chaos, only certain that something must have gone terribly wrong.
Jiang Ruan replied calmly, "It’s nothing." The matter of Zhao Mei’s murder could not yet be revealed to Jiang Xin Zhi. His impulsive nature might ruin things. Besides, in this lifetime, one rotten-hearted villain was enough. Jiang Xin Zhi must live cleanly—these filthy schemes and conspiracies would only corrupt his heart.
"I won’t force you," Jiang Xin Zhi said. If Jiang Ruan refused to speak, he would find out on his own. He patted her head. "But since you insist on staying in the Jiang residence, I won’t move out either. As long as I’m here, no one will dare bully you."
Jiang Ruan gave a slight nod.
Zisu, Lianqiao, and Luzhu, witnessing the heartwarming reunion of the siblings, couldn’t hold back their tears. After all these years, Jiang Ruan had finally endured to see this day.
While this side was filled with joy, elsewhere, chaos was brewing.
"What did you say? Jiang Xin Zhi has returned to the residence?" Xia Cheng stood with his hands behind his back, staring in disbelief at the messenger. "Nonsense! Even if he had nine lives, he couldn’t have escaped! This matter was foolproof—unless ghosts and gods intervened!"
"Not only that," the messenger said cautiously, "all the men we sent have been captured and are being interrogated in prison."
"Weren’t they zealots? How are they still alive? But—" Xia Cheng sneered coldly. "Those zealots were rigorously trained. They’ll never talk. Find out where they’re being held. Tonight, take a few men and deal with it. I don’t need to spell out what to do."
"But... the one interrogating them is Prince Xiao."
Xiao Shao commanded the Brocade-clad Guards, who occasionally captured tight-lipped individuals during special missions. Under his interrogation, none had ever held out to the end. The less people saw, the more the rumors spread. In the Da Jin Dynasty, it was said there was no mouth Xiao Shao couldn’t pry open. Yet, his aloof demeanor and ruthless methods meant even acquaintances dared not ask him directly, only speculating that his tortures must be merciless.
Hearing this, Xia Cheng felt his heart sink. Clenching his fists, he muttered, "How did they end up in Xiao Shao’s hands? What connection does Xiao Shao have with Jiang Xin Zhi?"
"During the ambush, General Guan and Prince Xiao suddenly arrived. General Guan wanted to take the men back, but Prince Xiao insisted the matter was too significant and demanded to handle the interrogation personally."
"This is bad." Xia Cheng’s face paled. "If the Xia family is implicated, will there be any peaceful days ahead?" He paced back and forth in the room. "No, I must go see the Eighth Prince. Prepare the horses at once."
...At the same time, chaos reigned in the Prime Minister's residence in the capital. Li Dong pointed angrily at Li An and scolded, "Have you lost your mind? Now that the men have fallen into Xiao Shao's hands, no matter how lenient the Emperor is, he won't tolerate privately raising troops. You've brought such disaster upon the Li family—what do we do now?"
Li An had always been Li Dong's pride, receiving constant praise since childhood. But recently, with Li Yang's troubles already causing distress, Li An's major blunder made Li Dong view him with increasing displeasure.
Li An stood silently, his expression dark and brooding. He had intended to use the Jiang family affair to strike at Jiang Xin Zhi, both to win over the Jiangs and to see Jiang Ruan suffer. Yet Guan Lianghan and Xiao Shao had intervened, ruining his plans. However, a glint flashed in Li An's eyes—he had heard that Zhao Yuanfeng and Zhao Yi were also present at the scene. What a coincidence. For some reason, the image of a coldly smiling face surfaced in his mind.
He refused to believe Jiang Ruan had nothing to do with this.
Seeing Li An remain silent only fueled Li Dong's anger. "Think of something quickly! Your elder brother is now a cripple because of the Jiang family. Do you want to drag the entire Prime Minister's residence down with you for their sake?"
"What's the rush?" Li An scoffed. "This is a minor issue. I'll speak with the Eighth Prince." Ye Li needed his intellect, and he, in turn, needed Ye Li to help the Li family out of this predicament.
...
Outside the dungeon, Guan Lianghan was growing impatient when Xiao Shao finally emerged. The moment he saw him, Guan Lianghan eagerly asked, "Well? Did they confess?"
"They're Xia Cheng and Li Dong's men," Xiao Shao replied coldly. The assailants had been divided into two groups. Xia Cheng's involvement was understandable—his men claimed they were merely preventing Jiang Xin Zhi from threatening Jiang Chao's position upon returning to the Jiang residence. But Li Dong's men were baffling; even they didn’t know the reason, only that they had been ordered to act.
Guan Lianghan frowned. "How strange. Why two separate groups?" He clapped Xiao Shao on the shoulder. "Impressive work. But," he glanced toward the dungeon, "what method did you use? Don’t tell me it was like what that Jiang girl suggested—scalding their brains with hot oil?"
"No." Xiao Shao's lips twitched slightly. He had his own methods.
Since Xiao Shao didn’t elaborate, Guan Lianghan didn’t press further. Instead, he mused aloud, "Honestly, how does someone as decent as Jiang Xin Zhi end up with such a sister? They’re nothing alike. Third Brother, you’re not actually fond of that girl, are you? I don’t think it’s a good idea. She’s so young, yet her schemes are ruthless. Imagine what she’ll be like when she grows up."
Xiao Shao fell silent for a moment before replying coolly, "She’s just a child." He harbored no inappropriate thoughts toward a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl. However, Jiang Ruan’s actions were undeniably peculiar, hinting at numerous secrets. Her deeds seemed intricately linked to Ye Li, and her assistance to Liu Min raised further suspicions. If her goal was to manipulate the entire court as Ye Li’s pawn, she warranted close observation.
Guan Lianghan burst into laughter. "Just joking, just joking. Come on, I need to ask Old Seven something. You’re coming with me."
Xiao Shao called out, "Ye Feng."Ye Feng appeared behind him as Xiao Shao commanded, "Post guards to watch the prisoners in the jail. Prevent anyone from silencing them tonight."
Ye Feng cupped his hands in salute. "Understood, Master."
...
At the Eighth Prince's residence, Ye Li regarded Xia Cheng and Li An before him with his usual gentle smile.
Xia Cheng wiped his sweat. "We beg Your Highness to lend us your aid."
"The Marquis and I have always been close. Naturally, I wouldn't stand idly by. However, this matter is of grave importance. Even if I'm willing, my hands are truly tied," Ye Li said slowly.
Xia Cheng glanced at the composed Li An beside him, then steeled himself and gritted his teeth. "I implore Your Highness to save the Xia Family. If you can assist us in this matter, you will be the savior of our entire household. Should you ever have need of the Xia Family in the future, I swear here and now that we will go through fire and water without hesitation."
The Xia Family and the Eighth Prince's faction had always supported each other. Though the Eighth Prince was highly capable, he operated in the shadows. The Xia Family, now firmly established, possessed the wealth and influence Ye Li needed. Yet precisely because of this, the Xia Family wasn't easy to control—their relationship was one of mutual exploitation. Xia Cheng's declaration at this moment signaled his complete submission.
Ye Li sighed softly. "The Marquis's words bring me great comfort. But what if in the future, you develop misgivings about me or entertain other ideas? What then?"
Seeing Ye Li's hesitation, Xia Cheng pressed, "This old man will prove the Xia Family's sincerity through concrete actions. I only beg Your Highness to find a way to save us."
Ye Li smiled gently. "The Marquis worries too much. The Xia Family and I share both prosperity and adversity—how could I stand by and do nothing? Leave this matter to me. I will give the Marquis a satisfactory answer, but I trust you won't disappoint me either."
Xia Cheng exhaled in relief and nodded repeatedly. "Of course, of course."
Satisfied, Ye Li smiled. "In that case, if there's nothing else, the Marquis may return first. I still have matters to discuss with the Second Young Master Li."
Xia Cheng shot Li An an unwilling glance before taking his leave.
Only after Xia Cheng had departed did Li An finally cup his hands toward Ye Li. "Your Highness."
"No need to say it. Since I'm helping the Xia Family, I won't neglect the Li Family either," Ye Li said warmly. "Besides, given our close friendship, how could I stand aside?"
Li An nodded, though inwardly he sneered. Friendship? It was nothing more than a matter of value. The Li Family's usefulness surpassed the Xia Family's, which was why Ye Li adopted a more deferential attitude. Everyone had their price—it was simply a question of whether the offer was reasonable. The Xia Family's price was set, but the Prime Minister's estate was worth far more.
Ye Li noted the disdain in Li An's eyes, his smile unchanging, though a glint of deeper meaning flashed in his gaze. The Prime Minister's estate certainly had wealth, power, and talent to offer, but others could provide those as well. The most valuable acquisition, without a doubt, was the man before him. Li An was different from Li Yang—while Li Yang was a good-for-nothing wastrel, Li An had offered him many strategies over the years. Ye Li regarded him as a right-hand man, valuing his intellect so highly that he could even tolerate Li An's disrespect."But why would the Li family ambush Jiang Xin Zhi?" Ye Li asked. Xia Cheng's involvement could be understood due to his connections with Xia Yan and Jiang Chao, but the Li and Jiang families were now like fire and water. He knew about Jiang Susu injuring Li Yang's manhood—logically speaking, if Li An intervened to kill Jiang Xin Zhi, the beneficiaries would be Jiang Susu and her mother, which made no sense at all.
Li An didn’t hide his motives either. "Jiang Ruan harmed my elder brother, making our feud with the Prime Minister’s residence irreconcilable. I planned to kill Jiang Xin Zhi first, then slowly torment Jiang Ruan. I didn’t expect complications along the way." Tormenting someone physically was the lowest form of cruelty—true suffering came from the mind. If Jiang Ruan knew Jiang Xin Zhi died because of her, the pain would be unbearable.
"Jiang Ruan?" Ye Li was stunned. "How could it be Jiang Ruan?"
"Jiang Susu was merely a scapegoat. The truth is, Jiang Ruan injured my brother and framed Jiang Susu for it."
Ye Li never doubted Li An’s words, but he was still taken aback. Recalling Jiang Ruan’s composed demeanor during the incident at the Xia family ancestral hall, doubts arose in his mind. How could a sheltered young woman possess such cunning? To scheme against Jiang Susu while implicating the Li family—wasn’t that far too reckless? Wasn’t she afraid?
"However, I’ve also discovered something interesting," Li An suddenly smiled. "The Zhao family’s involvement makes me think Jiang Ruan may have ties with them. Once Jiang Xin Zhi returns, the Zhao family’s position will shift. Forgive my bluntness, but when that happens, Your Highness might face trouble as well."
"You mean Jiang Ruan and the Zhao family?" Ye Li frowned. "What exactly is going on?"
"I’m not entirely sure, but this eldest daughter of the Jiang family is far from simple." Li An replied. But that was all the better—it made the game more interesting. She had given him a small surprise, thwarting his plans. Next time, he wondered if she’d be so lucky.
Ye Li’s brow furrowed tightly. For some reason, an uneasy feeling stirred within him.
...
Early in the morning, Jiang Xin Zhi left the residence to meet with Guan Lianghan. Yesterday’s events had been suspicious, and many details still needed discussion.
At the residence of the Capital Magistrate, Dong Yinger popped a candied date into her mouth and giggled, "Ruan Meimei, you’re quite the talk of the town now! Everyone knows you have a dashing, handsome elder brother—so tall and refined, nothing like those brutish soldiers. Truly a scholarly general, and I hear his battlefield prowess is even more impressive!"
"Listen to you," Wen Feifei teased. "Anyone would think he was your brother the way you go on about him."
"Exactly! Could it be our esteemed Miss Dong is feeling a little springtime flutter?" Zhao Jin chimed in, laughing.
Dong Yinger’s face flushed red, and she playfully raised a hand to strike. "You wretched girl, spouting nonsense! I’ll tear your mouth shut!"
Zhao Jin dodged with a laugh. "Spare me! I was only joking, I take it back!"
Lin Zixiang looked at Jiang Ruan with satisfaction. "Well, though you may not be particularly capable yourself, at least you have an impressive brother now. Your stepmother and stepsister won’t dare bully you so easily anymore."
"Right, right!" Zhao Jin clapped her hands. "Make sure to pay them back for all the times they mistreated you. If they so much as look at you wrong, just have your brother break their legs!""There's no one like you," Dong Yinger pouted in dissatisfaction. "I don't think Brother Jiang would casually hit people. Do you think everyone is as rough as you?"
Zhao Jin stuck out her tongue and fell silent.
Jiang Ruan smiled gently. "Anyway, he's back home now. There'll be chances for you to meet him in the future. But it's getting late, I should be heading back."
Dong Yinger had invited them to her residence, where the young ladies chatted over tea. Before they knew it, most of the day had passed. As dusk approached and the rain made the roads slippery, Dong Yinger didn't detain them further. "Alright then, let's meet another day. Yu'er, bring out the pastries I made for everyone to take home," she said with a smile. "Be careful on your way back."
After bidding farewell, they each returned to their respective homes. When passing through the city center, Jiang Ruan instructed the coachman to turn into a narrow alley. The carriage stopped before a gate, where Jiang Ruan, accompanied by Zisu and Luzhu, approached a particular household.
Lianqiao stepped forward to knock. Soon, a young servant came to open the door. Recognizing Jiang Ruan, he paused in surprise before respectfully ushering the three women inside. Just as they entered the main hall, Huijue's voice greeted them: "Miss Jiang."
(End of Chapter)
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