Chapter 217: Heartache (2)
Jiang Ruan steadied herself, twirling the Blood Moon Bracelet in her hand. The bracelet contained only nine needles, each steeped in potent poison. Ingeniously crafted, the device was irreversible once deployed. However, it had a fatal flaw: the poisoned needles could only be fired at close range.
In her urgency, she recalled a past event. In her previous life, Left Minister Zuo Jiang had a successful career in the imperial court, having accomplished several commendable deeds for the emperor. In that life, neither Jiang Dan nor Jiang Li married Zuo Jiang, but a cousin from Consort Chen’s family.
It seemed as if a thread linked all these events together, and with this realization, things became clearer. Ye You certainly didn’t have the power to command the entire Minister’s residence, but what about Consort Chen, who currently enjoyed the emperor’s favor? In her previous life, Ye Li had also mentioned that Zuo Jiang was a man of talent. If Zuo Jiang sided with Ye Li’s faction and worked for Consort Chen, it would make sense.
Thus, it appeared that Ye You and Jiang Li were merely p.a.w.ns in Consort Chen’s game. But why did Consort Chen harbor such deep hatred towards her? Even if she wanted to strike, this was not the time, nor was it necessary to use such vicious means, which seemed intent on ruining her reputation and leaving her for dead. It seemed more likely that Jiang Su Su and Xia Yan were behind this.
Unlike Xia Yan, Consort Chen would have a series of follow-up moves once she made her move. How could she easily escape today? Consort Chen did not hesitate to use the entire Minister’s residence to set a trap for her, which was quite impressive.
The more perilous the situation, the more relaxed Jiang Ruan appeared, standing leisurely in the garden of the Minister’s residence, smiling charmingly.
Unnoticed, the guards multiplied, dividing into two groups. One group surrounded Tianzhu, who, despite his skills, was outnumbered. Moreover, these guards were sent by Consort Chen and were no mere straw men. The other group encircled Jiang Ruan, slowly closing in. Seeing her sudden smile, they grew suspicious and hesitant to approach, wary of hidden weapons after witnessing their comrade’s tragic death.
She said indifferently, “Has your master considered the consequences of her actions today?”
Upon hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed the guards’ eyes. Matters concerning Consort Chen were supposed to be secret. If the incident were exposed, Jiang Ruan would only blame Ye You. But the fact that the Princess of Hong’an directly accused the consort, without even suspecting the Minister’s residence, naturally alarmed them.
If it weren’t for Consort Chen’s order to send Jiang Ruan to Ye You’s bed, these guards would have probably killed Jiang Ruan to silence her. Consort Chen had never shown her face in the palace from beginning to end, and had nothing to do with this matter, but Jiang Ruan could guess it! No, looking at her eyes, she seemed certain.
Without delay, several guards surrounded Jiang Ruan. Faster than their movements was the dark blue light emitted from the bracelet. Then there were a few swishing sounds, and some people were shot and fell in front of Jiang Ruan. However, no matter how fast she moved, she was somewhat physically weak due to the effects of the medicine. One of them circled behind her and suddenly handcuffed her hands. Although they couldn’t see what hidden weapon Jiang Ruan used, they slowly let go of their hearts when they saw Jiang Ruan’s body weaken. Tianzhu saw Jiang Ruan fall into the hands of those people, and anxious in his heart, his moves were ruthless, but also revealed flaws, giving the enemy a chance, and he was injured.
Tianzhu was trained in a.s.sa.s.sination, but a.s.sa.s.sinations were mostly one-on-one, and dealing with a large number of guards was a bit challenging. At this moment, Tianzhu was also shocked. So many people just to deal with Jiang Ruan, was it a bit overkill? Or was it that the other party’s master hated Jiang Ruan to the bone, so they ensured that nothing goes wrong.
One person took advantage of Tianzhu’s distraction and stabbed a knife into Tianzhu’s waist. Tianzhu staggered, and when he looked back, there was no trace of Jiang Ruan.
Speaking of Jiang Ruan being taken away by the guard, the guard covered her eyes with his hand, and Jiang Ruan bit her own tongue, her body was abnormally hot. It was as if sparks were burning from the bottom of her heart, making her whole body start to tremble. The hotter her body, the colder her heart.
She didn’t know how long it had been, but she felt that the person carrying her had stopped. The hand covering her eyes was removed, and she saw a luxurious and rich room in front of her. The incense burning in the room gave off a strange ambiguity. Jiang Ruan was not unfamiliar with the scent, in her previous life in the palace, many beauties would burn such incense to prolong the moment of favor when the emperor favored them, it was a strong love incense.
Jiang Ruan had already been affected by the potent aphrodisiac drug. Smelling this heavy incense of l.u.s.t, she felt as if flames were burning from the tips of her toes to the ends of her hair. Though she could usually endure, a slight flush crept onto her face. If one didn’t know about the drug’s effects, they may not have believed she was drugged.
“Princess of Hongan,” a slimy voice rang out, like disgusting maggots crawling on her bones. The guard respectfully withdrew. Jiang Ruan could no longer stand, collapsing to the cold floor as she icily watched the leering man before her.
Ye You’s gaze roved over Jiang Ruan’s body. Since catching sight of the peerless Princess of Hongan in the palace, she had haunted his dreams, imagining her beneath him. After seeing such beauty, his own concubines paled in comparison. These past days, Ye You could hardly eat or sleep, unaware that the seemingly upright Zuo Jiang was an opportunist who had arranged this chance through his new wife Jiang Li.
Of course, Ye You didn’t know the “Zuo Jiang guards” were imposters who overestimated his abilities. But with Jiang Ruan now trapped, imagining the pleasures ahead, Ye You’s heart raced with excitement.
Step by step, he approached Jiang Ruan. She quickly drew the blue short sword bound to her calf – Xiao Shao’s gifted sword never left her side. But her dizzy mind made it clear that if she didn’t get rescued soon, she would be in danger, especially as her vision of Ye You blurred.
Seeing the drawn sword, Ye You paused before laughing, “Princess of Hongan, why such dramatics? You have no strength left to deal with me. Let’s retire to the bedchambers and you can do as you wish.” His grin became more loathsome. “Just be careful not to hurt yourself. You’ll need to conserve your energy for what we’ll be doing later – quite strenuous activities.”
“Get lost,” Jiang Ruan said coldly.
“Why must the princess be so aloof?” Ye You smiled, approaching her. “This prince truly adores you. After tonight, I will ask the Emperor Father to take you as my wife. We are not blood siblings, and there are precedents in this dynasty. You can become my empress – wouldn’t that be wonderful?” He moved closer, muttering, “This prince will treat you well.”
Jiang Ruan gave a cold laugh at his words. Her eyes suddenly darkened, and without hesitation, she plunged the short sword into her own left arm. Her motion was so reckless that even Ye You was stunned. Her pale pink robe instantly bloomed with a large patch of red from the bleeding wound, a shocking sight.
(End of chapter)