Chapter 173: Am I not as pretty as you?
"Sister Jiang, do you know about tattooing?"
Changle clapped his hands, and a jailer came in with an iron plate in his hand, on which were a carving knife, a steel needle and ink.
"Princess, what do you mean?" Jiang Lan was pinned to the ground by two jailers, her face filled with panic.
Changle walked up to her, bent down, and gently stroked her face with his fingers. "Sister Jiang, are you still going to act with me? Don't you know everything about that box of rouge?"
Now that things have come to this, there is no need for Jiang Lan to pretend anymore.
Previously, the emperor personally selected Jiang Shen as the top scholar, and then there were rumors outside that the emperor preferred Jiang Shen to be his son-in-law and wanted to betroth the queen's legitimate daughter, Princess Changle, to him.
One day after the court session, Changle took the initiative to show her goodwill to Jiang Shen and asked him if he was willing to be her prince consort. This was overheard by Cui Yan, who rushed over and punched Jiang Shen. After that, rumors spread that the two of them were jealous of each other and had fought for the position of prince consort.
Before Jiang Lan went to the general's mansion to cause trouble, Cui Jingshu came to complain first, saying that her elder brother was shameless and wanted to hit her. She slapped him twice and he didn't even dare to fight back. In anger, he blurted out the secret.
The box of rose rouge mixed with rotten grass was actually sent by someone else. Jiang Lan put a hairpin against Cui Jingshu's neck and forced her to tell her who it was.
It was then that she realized that the person who wanted to destroy her face was Changle, who had always been kind to her.
She hadn't told Qi Wuhan about this. Firstly, it was because of the Queen, as he had told her that the Queen had taken good care of him when he was a child and a tutor to the Crown Prince. Secondly, it was because of the Crown Prince, who would become the ruler of a country in the future. Changle and he were siblings from the same mother, so even if they committed a serious offense, they wouldn't be severely punished. If she tried to deal with him, it would be like hitting a rock with an egg, so she could only be more cautious in the future.
However, ever since the Yanzhi incident became a big deal, the other party has not attacked her again.
"Since the princess has always been fond of the Marquis, why not openly ask His Majesty for permission to marry her? Given His Majesty's love for the princess, I'm sure he will agree."
"How do you know I haven't asked the Emperor?" Changle lowered her thick eyelashes in frustration. "But what can I do if the Emperor doesn't agree? If only Brother Wuhan could take the initiative to ask the Emperor for permission to marry..."
At this point, she raised her gaze to Jiang Lan and walked towards the iron plate. "Why can Brother Wu Han ask the emperor for a marriage for you, but I can't?" She picked up the carving knife on the plate and looked at it. "Is it because I'm not as good-looking as you?"
She turned around and walked towards Jiang Lan with the carving knife.
"The princess is a beauty. I have never seen a girl prettier than her." Jiang Lan flattered her hastily. The most important thing at the moment was to calm her down.
"Then why doesn't Brother Wu Han like me?" Changle asked in confusion.
"That's because the Marquis was blind. The princess has now married her ideal husband. Young Master Cui is a handsome man, talented in both civil and military affairs, and is no worse than the Marquis." Jiang Lan said.
"Then are you willing to switch with me?" Changle asked expectantly.
Jiang Lan couldn't agree without a clear conscience, so she changed the subject and asked, "Princess, don't you like Master Cui at all?"
"Brother Cui is also very good to me. If Brother Wu Han were not here, Brother Cui would be the most suitable candidate for a son-in-law." Chang Le gestured with the carving knife on Jiang Lan's face, revealing a bright smile. "Okay, Sister Jiang, stop stalling for time. I'll ask one last time, where is Brother Wu Han?"
"He..." Jiang Lan gritted her teeth and said, "He ran off with that vixen outside."
Changle was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No, Brother Wuhan is not that kind of person."
"Really, I've seen that vixen. She's so beautiful that any man's bones go weak at the sight of her. This unfaithful man is fickle, fickle, and heartless. From now on, I'll beat him up every time I see him." Jiang Lan clenched her fists, looking as if she would never reconcile with the unfaithful man.
"Where is Brother Wu Han?" Changle put the carving knife on Jiang Lan's face. Jiang Lan felt a slight pain and a trace of blood seeped out.
At this moment, there was a clanging sound, which startled the people in the room. The door was kicked open from the outside.
"Who dares to lynch here?"
Seeing that it was Changle, Ji Quan bowed and apologized again, "I didn't know it was the princess here. I disturbed her. Please forgive me."
"How dare you! Don't you see the princess is interrogating the prisoner? Get out of here!" the maid said sternly.
Ji Quan glanced at Jiang Lan and said, "Why does the princess need to interrogate the criminal herself? I will leave it to you. I wonder what the princess wants to know?"
"Hasn't the emperor been sending people to look for the whereabouts of Marquis Jin'an? This princess wants to share his worries, so there's no need to trouble Lord Ji." After Changle put the carving knife back, she called for someone to take Jiang Lan back for interrogation, but no one came in from outside.
"Your Majesty, I am also here to share your worries. Your Majesty instructed me yesterday to keep a close eye on the person and not to make any mistakes. If Princess wants to carry out private punishment, please ask Your Majesty for permission first." Ji Quan bowed.
"Since my father has handed the person over to you, this princess will be waiting for your good news."
"Take care, Princess."
When Changle came out with her maid, she found that all the guards she brought with her had been captured by the people from the Imperial City Bureau.
"Why don't you let him go?" Ji Quan bowed again and apologized, "I didn't know he was the princess's man. I'm sorry for offending him. Please don't blame me, princess."
Changle asked in confusion, "Why is Master Ji helping Sister Jiang so much?"
Ji Quan replied, "Princess, you have misunderstood. I am only enforcing the law impartially."
"Master Ji knows best whether it's a misunderstanding or not."
After saying that, Changle left with her maid and guards.
After Ji Quan came back, he had the three jailers taken away for interrogation. Jiang Lan thanked him. Seeing that she had a wound on her face, he asked someone to call a doctor.
"Why did you offend the princess again?" he asked curiously.
Jiang Lan didn't want to say it.
"If it weren't for me just now, you would have lost face. Why are you still guarding against me like a thief?" Ji Quan said helplessly.
Jiang Lan raised her eyes and stared into his eyes, and asked, "The man in black who tried to kill my eldest brother at the academy before, was you?"
Ji Quan turned his gaze slightly aside and said to himself, "So this is why."
"It's you." Jiang Lan took two steps back, and the suspicion that had been hidden in her heart was confirmed.
Seeing that she was about to sever ties with him, Ji Quan clicked his tongue and explained, "I don't want to kill your brother."
"Who are you going to kill?" Jiang Lan thought of another person who had been treated for illness at Bamboo Garden with her eldest brother. "Could it be Master Lin?"
Ji Quan remained noncommittal. "This is my business. It's not good for you to know too much."
Jiang Lan pondered for a moment and asked, "Are you from the Black Lotus Sect?"
Ji Quan clicked his tongue, his expression a bit hard to describe. "Why do you have so many questions? Why do you want to know so much if you don't believe me?"
"If you were a member of the Black Lotus Sect, I could expose you and gain merit, and maybe even get out."
“…”
Ji Quan turned around, took off his coat, revealing the back of his neck. He raised his hand and pointed at a cervical vertebra behind his neck. He said, "The members of the Black Lotus Cult all have a black lotus tattooed here. Take a good look. Do I have one?"
Jiang Lan took a look and saw nothing.
"Did you see it clearly?" Ji Quan asked.
Jiang Lan hummed. "It's a shame I can't make any contributions now," Ji Quan lamented as he put on his coat, a hint of sneer on his lips.
Jiang Lan turned her back and asked, "How does Your Majesty intend to deal with us?"
"Then it depends on whether we can win this battle." Ji Quan curled his lips and said, "Do you hope to win or not?"
"When the nest is overturned, no eggs will remain intact. Of course we have to win." Jiang Lan's voice was not loud, but her tone was firm.
Ji Quan's gaze lingered on her resolute profile for a moment, and he added in a frivolous tone, "If the Marquis knew you said that, he would definitely be sad."
Jiang Lan did not respond, her eyes were filled with darkness.
Although he remembered nothing, asking him to declare war on the land and people he once protected with his life, and to draw swords against the soldiers who once fought shoulder to shoulder with him, was it too cruel for him...
She suddenly felt a little fortunate that she was locked up here and didn't have to witness that scene with her own eyes, but she also hated herself for not being able to do anything. If she also had the ability to lead troops in battle, she would go and stop him herself, even if she couldn't beat him, she would still throw a tantrum.
......
After the doctor came and looked at the wound on her face, he said it was not a big deal and that it would heal if she applied some ointment and stayed away from water for two days.
When the jailer sent Jiang Lan back, Jiang Shen was relieved to see that she was fine.
Jiang Cheng asked her where she was taken. Jiang Lan said that someone from the palace came to interrogate her, but when they couldn't get anything out of her, they let her go.
"What did they ask you?" Jiang Cheng asked.
Jiang Lan replied, "I was asked who the Marquis usually interacted with and whether he had any particularly close relationships. But the Marquis doesn't usually interact with ministers in the court, so I don't know who he has close relationships with."
"Second sister, what's wrong with your face?" Jiang Yao kept staring at Jiang Lan's face while she was talking. The wound on Jiang Lan's face could not be seen unless you looked closely closely.
"It's okay. I got bit by a mosquito when I came back just now. Maybe I scratched it accidentally."
Hearing Jiang Lan say this, Jiang Yao quickly raised her hand to fan herself, fearing that she would be bitten by mosquitoes.
…
On the other side, after Changle returned to the general's mansion, she learned that Cui Jingshu had arrived. She went back to her residence to change clothes and then went to pay her respects to her mother-in-law, Princess Pingyang. Cui Jingshu was also there.
Seeing Changle coming over, Cui Jingshu seemed a little embarrassed and stopped talking halfway through.
"Second sister is worried about the safety of fifth brother. Fifth brother is a lucky man and will definitely return safely." Changle sat down and said.
Cui Jingshu was talking about this just now. She wanted her mother to write a letter to her father, asking her father to keep a close eye on Prince Fu and not let him go to the battlefield. She didn't want to be a widow.
Princess Pingyang, on the contrary, thought that Cui Haiduo should take Prince Fu to the battlefield to gain military merit, which would make his position more stable in the future.
Cui Jingshu was still worried that if Prince Fu died, she would be a princess in name only. Before she could finish her words, Changle came over.
Princess Pingyang asked the Queen how she was doing, and Changle replied that she was in good health.
This morning she first went to the palace and then went to the prison.
At this time, a servant came to report that Cui Yan had returned, so Changle said goodbye first.
After Changle left, Cui Jingshu continued to talk about what had just happened.
"Mother, just write a letter to father. Your daughter is still so young. If she becomes a widow, wouldn't it be a joke? Especially Zheng Qian'er, she has always been against your daughter. She will definitely laugh her teeth off when the time comes."
"How can you be so short-sighted? If the Fifth Prince has made military achievements, what would Princess An have to fear? Don't worry, I will write to your father and ask him to protect the Fifth Prince on the battlefield. He will be fine."
…
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