Chapter 72.2
The Crown Prince’s own brothers were locked in mutual discord . Scheming was the most intolerable thing to him; a whole family filled with conspiracies was the thing he couldn’t stand . Therefore, whenever he saw internal strifes, he would be very ruthless . In her previous life, Xuan Li took advantage of this specific trait and roped the Fourth Prince in since the most harmless-looking Fourth Prince had always been close to the Crown Prince . In the end, the Crown Prince was framed by this close brother and ended up dead in prison .
Xuan Li revealed this thing to her when the fight was already at the late stage . He was not as gentle and prudent as he used to be, showing some arrogance . He derided and scorned this brotherly trust . However, Jiang Ruan could understand the Crown Prince . He was just a pathetic man who, in his extreme loneliness, longed for familial affections and invested his most important trust in the wrong person . But as was the same case as hers, they’d both been betrayed .
The Crown Prince surely thought of his own situation when he saw the actions of the Xia family against her . The more excessive the Xia family treated her, the more ruthless the Crown Prince’s heart became . Had it not been for Xuan Li’s presence today, probably, the Xia family would not suffer such a simple punishment as beatings with the plank .
However, Xuan Li still stood with the Xia family, after all . Jiang Ruan’s eyes darkened . She wondered if in this life Xuan Li would act the same as in the previous one and marry Jiang Su Su in the end . She was looking forward to that very moment .
After the excruciating twenty beatings, Xia Jiao Jiao fainted .
Jiang Ruan smiled faintly . “Maternal Grandmother’s matter has been brought to a close, but Your Highness hasn’t made a judgment about the ancestral hall’s issue . How should the perpetrator in the ancestral hall be dealt with?”
Hu Die was a.s.sisting Jiang Su Su from the chair . Yet, upon hearing this, Jiang Su Su’s body turned weak and almost fell down . She stared incredulously at Jiang Ruan . Xia Cheng glared at Jiang Ruan as if he wanted to devour her . Xia Yan acted as if she had just heard of this . “What happened in the ancestral hall?” Then, she suddenly thought of something and looked at Jiang Ruan suspiciously . How come after spending a whole night in the cold and gloomy ancestral hall Jiang Ruan still looked good, without the slightest sign of weakness? And what about the perpetrator she was talking about?
Jiang Ruan met Xia Yan’s puzzled glance and answered her with a smile . “Last night Ruan niang prayed for Xia ancestors in the ancestral hall but couldn’t endure the exhaustion in the middle of the night . So niang’s servant girl knelt on Ruan niang’s behalf . But, who knew that a robber would come in the dark and defile the body of the servant girl . As such, Ruan niang has asked Your Highness for a grace to severely punish the villain . “
Xia Yan was a little confused by her words, but she still understood her meaning . Someone wanted to stain her, but he was blocked by Jiang Ruan’s servant girl . Xia Yan secretly resented why Jiang Ruan was so lucky every time . She looked at Lian Qiao at Jiang Ruan’s side . Jiang Ruan only brought Lian Qiao and Shu Xiang when she came out this time . Lian Qiao stood in place, looking perfectly alright . Was it possible that the person who suffered in her place was Shu Xiang ? Her heart tensed up . Jiang Ruan spoke again, “Maternal Grandfather, since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is here, it would be better to bring the villain here . ”
Xia Cheng was about to spit blood . He was sure that Jiang Ruan must have known Xia Jun’s ident.i.ty . She must have acted on purpose . He felt that Jiang Ruan had a deep and terrible scheme .
Jiang Ruan looked at Xia Yan, “It’s all thanks to Mother who gave me a good servant girl . This servant girl is loyal and considerate . I like her very much . If it wasn’t for her last night, perhaps Ruan niang would have had no choice but to die today . This loyal servant was given by Mother and so she would also want to avenge Shu Xiang’s grievances . ”
Xia Yan couldn’t say a word . Xuan Li listened to Jiang Ruan and gave her a meaningful look . The Crown Prince knew that the man in the ancestral hall was Xia Jun, so he didn’t speak . He just looked at Xia Cheng with a gloating expression .
Xia Cheng wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and finally said in a sinking voice, “Nonsense, that’s not a villain, that’s your cousin!”
As soon as this remark came out, not only Xia Yan, but Shen Rou and Yu Ya froze as well . Yu Ya cried out, “How can it be Jun’er?”
“Maternal Grandfather,” Jiang Ruan looked at him in surprise, “That man defiled my servant girl’s body . How could he be my cousin?” Her words were full of surprise, but she reminded everyone of the fact that Xia Jun ruined a person’s innocence .
Xuan Li paused, while Xiao Shao watched Jiang Ruan’s excellent acting . He couldn’t help but curve his lips up slightly . There was also a glimpse of a smile in his perpetually cold eyes .
Yu Ya asked anxiously, “What’s going on? What happened to Jun’er? “
Jiang Ruan replied, “Maternal Aunt, Maternal Grandfather and His Royal Highness saw someone…demonstrating immoral conduct in the ancestral hall at dawn today . I didn’t expect the man to be my cousin . ”
When Yu Ya heard this, she took two steps backwards . She couldn’t understand . Although her son’s actions were frivolous, he wouldn’t be so stupid as to do such a thing in a place like the ancestral hall . There must be an ulterior motive!
When Xia Yan saw Jiang Su Su’s resentful expression, she was startled and immediately understood what was going on . Jiang Su Su did not know that she and Xia Furen had already discussed the countermeasures and had actually acted on her own plan without permission . She must have been trapped by Jiang Ruan again . Exasperated at Jiang Su Su’s disobedience, she quickly pondered about the way to deal with the situation at hand . If something really happened to Xia Jun, neither Xia Cheng nor Yu Ya would spare this pair of mother and daughter . After all, Xia Jun was the only legitimate grandson of the Xia fu and would inherit the family property in the future .
Xia Cheng gritted his teeth . After seeing that this matter had turned this way, he could only allege that Xia Jun was seduced by the servant girl . He shouted angrily, “Bring that unfilial son and servant girl here!”
The servants soon brought in the still dazed Xia Jun and Shu Xiang . However, it didn’t take long for the two of them to sober up . Xia Cheng stepped forward and slapped Xia Jun in the face . “Unfilial son! Who told you to do such a thing! “
Xia Jun felt confused and disoriented at first by Xia Cheng’s slap . Yu Ya rushed up to hug him and cried, “My son, why are you so stupid? Why did you act muddle-headed in the ancestral hall?”
When Xia Jun became sober, he learned from an old servant what had happened . As soon as he entered the ancestral hall last night, he felt a little feverish and even out of control, and the madness of that night was still there . But, obviously, it was Eldest Jiang Miss who had slept with him . How did she become Eldest Jiang Miss’ servant girl?
Just then, his gaze fell on the girl in red standing in the middle of the crowd . She was smiling gently, but was actually looking at him with mockery . Xia Jun then immediately understood that it must have been Eldest Jiang Miss who had calculated against Jiang Su Su and even him!
His mind swerved . He suddenly knelt down and kowtowed to Xia Cheng . “Grandfather, it’s all my fault . I was drunk on wine last night and entered the ancestral hall by mistake . Unexpectedly, this servant girl seduced me . Grandson, grandson, for such a thing to happen, (is) really ashamed, asking Grandfather for punishment! “
Xia Cheng breathed a sigh of relief . Fortunately, Xia Jun was smart and knew to admit his mistakes on his own initiative .
Shu Xiang was stupefied . She hadn’t foreseen Xia Jun to denounce her right in the face . She looked at Jiang Ruan . It was very clear that Jiang Ruan had set her up . She had to look to Xia Yan for help . Xia Yan did not look back and acted as if she didn’t know anything . Shu Xiang’s heart was filled with despair, and she cried out, “No, it’s not this servant’s fault . Eldest Miss, this servant really didn’t seduce Young Master . ”
Jiang Ruan looked at her with pity . “Shu Xiang, I naturally believe you . You are the servant girl Mother personally chose for me, how can I not trust your character?”
When Xia Yan heard that, she felt a throbbing between her eyebrows . When Jiang Ruan said it like that, she could not say anything else . But looking at Xia Cheng’s furious eyes, she had to force herself to say, “Ruan niang, one may know a person for a long time without knowing her true nature . Shu Xiang usually seemed to be upright and honest, but I didn’t expect her to have such a dirty mind . ”
It was a blatant lie (lying with eyes wide open) . Lian Qiao couldn’t hide her contempt . Xia Yan really had the gall to use such a reason . Jiang Ruan sighed softly . ”I thought the person chosen by Mother must be excellent . Unexpectedly, Lian Qiao, Bai Zhi, or even Lu Zhu- all who I have chosen myself- have never shown such a surprising thing, but Shu Xiang, chosen by Mother, broke the precepts . ” She looked at Xia Yan . “Mother, please take the other servant girls in Ruan niang’s courtyard back . ”
Xia Yan was astonished . She clenched her teeth secretly . She had placed those spies with great difficulty and now everything was being pulled out by Jiang Ruan’s words . But at present, she could only agree . “Ruan niang’s thinking is reasonable . It’s Mother that’s thoughtless . ”
“No, No, Eldest Miss . I didn’t seduce Young Master . Furen, save me! Second Miss, save me!’ Shu Xiang cried desperately .
The Crown Prince sneered . “You are the servant girl of Eldest Jiang Miss . How can you plead with Second Miss?”
“Your Highness has no idea,” Jiang Ruan smiled . “Second Younger Sister is the most soft-hearted . Whenever the servants make mistakes, they all like to plead with her . And I have always been unfeeling and so the servants are afraid of me . ”
Xiao Shao raised his eyebrows . Jiang Ruan spoke again . “Shu Xiang, although I trust you, I trust Mother more . Since she has said so, there’s nothing I can do about it . ” She threw all the blame onto Xia Yan . Shu Xiang immediately felt a burst of despair . Jiang Ruan added, “But, even if you didn’t seduce my cousin, your body is defiled and even in a place like the ancestral hall . If it were me, I would have already killed myself with a white damask silk . In order to protect your reputation, you have no way to live . Whether you seduced him or not, the result is the same . ”
Shu Xiang shivered and looked at Jiang Ruan with fear . She suddenly understood that Jiang Ruan was right . Today, she really had no way to live .
Jiang Ruan wouldn’t take the initiative to save her . Between her and Xia Jun, Xia Yan would only choose Xia Jun, no one would speak for her . She finally understood that while Jiang Ruan knew perfectly well that she had been sent by Xia Yan, but still let her stay in Ruan Ju, it was not because of Jiang Ruan’s softheartedness . She was just looking for an opportunity to remove her with one move, with no possibility to recover! Now was that opportunity .
She realized that she was going to die, no matter what, and there was no way out while her family’s life was still in the hands of Xia Yan . Shu Xiang laughed bitterly . “This servant feels disgraced to face Eldest Miss . I beg Eldest Miss to take care of this servant’s parents . See you in the next life!” With that, she broke free from the old servant’s grasp, and before they could react, they saw her crashing into a pillar in the hall and collapsing in a pool of blood . Her eyes opened wide, her body shook a few times, and she died with everlasting regret .
Jiang Su Su let out an “Ah”, her face blanched . She naturally knew that the death of Shu Xiang was ultimately related to her and she was frightened . Xia Jun was also surprised that the beautiful woman of last night’s ecstasy was now dripping with blood . It was really terrifying .
Jiang Ruan watched quietly . Her last life in prison came to mind, seeing Shu Xiang following Jiang Su Su . Time flew . In this life, Shu Xiang had no chance to betray and hurt her .
The Crown Prince said, “This servant girl is a strong one . Bengong feels sorry that she died like this . Although the servant girl has paid with her life, Young Master Xia is not completely without fault either . Bengong is kind-hearted . Since he is still young, he won’t be punished . However, he can’t enter into officialdom for the next three years . Bengong will report everything that I’ve seen and heard today without any omission to my imperial father . Old Marquis Xia, please conduct yourself well . ” Having said that, his expression changed . He left in a huff without laughing and joking like he did earlier .
Xuan Li paused for a moment, then ran after him .
Yu Ya helped Xia Jun into the house . Xia Cheng followed behind . Jiang Su Su and Xia Yan also hurriedly followed . Servant girls and old servants scattered and walked away . There was no one else in the hall at that moment .
Jiang Ruan walked to Shu Xiang’s body lying in the pool of blood . She looked quietly at the servant girl who died without peace and spoke faintly, “You may as well have your eyes wide open . On your journey to the Yellow Springs[1], turn into a fierce ghost, but don’t haunt the wrong person . ”
[1] Huángquán ( 黄泉 ) – the Yellow Springs / the underworld of Chinese mythology / the equivalent of Hades or h.e.l.l
As she finished speaking and turned around, she directly faced an elegant and heroic face . Xiao Shao’s cold gaze fell on her face . The two were at close proximity . She heard his faint comment, “You’re very ruthless . ”
Jiang Ruan stepped back and smiled at him . “What has this to do with you?”