The more these thoughts fermented in his mind, the stronger his aversion to Jiang Yuyao became. He began to feel that she was extremely cunning and all her past behavior was a carefully designed illusion.
Jiang Yuyao, tears in her eyes, tried to defend her innocence, "Your Highness, I can swim, and I did accidentally fall into the water that day, but I did not intentionally frame Sister Songyi..."
Xinyi Zigu, however, was as cold as ice and interrupted her, "Enough, stop trying to fool me. I, Xinyi Zigu, am not someone who can be easily deceived. I have my own judgment. From the time you concealed your fake daughter's background to the time you forcibly occupied our engagement, I should have seen through all these lies long ago."
Jiang Yuyao was filled with fear. She didn't understand what the Fourth Prince was up to. Did he regret it and no longer want to fulfill his engagement with her? What should she do?
How wronged she must have felt. If Jiang Songyi had never gotten involved, she would have been the Fourth Prince's principal wife, not a concubine. A concubine, after all, could not hide her true identity as a concubine.
After saying this, he waved his sleeves and left, no longer asking about Jiang Yuyao's subsequent affairs in the Marquis' Mansion.
As he was leaving, his eyes inadvertently fell on Jiang Songyi, and a complex emotion suddenly surged in his heart.
Recalling the first time he met Jiang Songyi, he was also attracted by her beauty at first sight, but later he mistakenly believed that she was scheming and became resentful of her.
Now, with the Yongding Marquisate in calamity, if Jiang Songyi truly became the daughter of a traitor, she would likely be implicated and face a tragic end. With such a stunning beauty, if she were forced into prostitution, her situation would be incredibly tragic.
Never mind. After all, he had wronged her first, and he felt guilty about her. Then, he could plead with his father, asking him to grant her to him as a concubine. Although it would only grant her a lower status, it would still ensure her safety.
Xinyi Zigu had made up his mind and immediately gave Jiang Songyi a reassuring look. "Miss Jiang, don't worry too much. This prince will take care of things for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, he hurried away, thinking that the Jinyiwei would not be too harsh on Jiang Songyi for his sake. He had to see his father as soon as possible, lest the imperial edict be issued and there be no room for maneuver.
Jiang Songyi's face showed a hint of confusion.
Does she really need Xinyi Zigu's help?
There was a glint of resentment and jealousy in Jiang Yuyao's eyes as she cast them at Jiang Songyi. She had already expected that this enchanting woman, Jiang Songyi, would eventually win the favor of His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince!
Seeing that Xinyi Zigu's prejudice against her was becoming more and more serious, Jiang Yuyao could only cling to Ji Ji as her last life-saving straw.
If she can control the position of the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it will definitely become a sharp sword in her hand!
She pretended to be charming and looked at Ji Ji, "Commander-in-Chief... could you please return the purse to me?"
She had done her best to describe the whole process in detail, and she thought it was enough to win his trust.
However, Ji Ji glanced at her coldly, then handed the purse to Jiang Songyi.
"Please keep Miss Jiang's belongings safe and do not let them fall into the hands of others."
Jiang Yuyao stared at Ji Ji in astonishment, "Commander-in-Chief, this is clearly my property!"
She has described every detail of the matter vividly, but Jiang Songyi is speechless. Why does Ji Ji still doubt her?
Jiang Songyi raised his eyebrows slightly, and stroked the purse with his fingertips. "Why is Master Ji so sure that this thing belongs to me?"
Ji Ji's tone was cold but firm: "I personally witnessed Miss Jiang giving the sachet to Marquis Yongding."
"I see."
Jiang Songyi had never expected him to possess such subtle and thoughtful insight; he truly was the commander of the Imperial Guard. In her previous life, Xu Shixin had used sorcery to secretly harm others, keeping her actions secret. Consequently, Jiang Songyi had never encountered Ji Ji. Furthermore, she had been ruthlessly humiliated by Jiang Yuyao, so she had never worn the ugly sachets and pouches she had embroidered herself, thus missing out on a precious opportunity to meet Ji Ji.
On the other hand, Jiang Yuyao inadvertently seized the initiative and claimed the credit for her unknown achievements.
In this life, the spring butterfly gently fluttered its wings, inadvertently changing the trajectory of fate.
"There's a bloodstain hidden inside this purse. It was left when I accidentally pricked my finger while embroidering. I hid it inside simply because I cherished the fabric."
Jiang Songyi carefully opened the purse and found a dark stain inside.
Ji Ji was therefore even more convinced, and he took out the jade pendant engraved with the word "Ji" from his sleeve and handed it solemnly to Jiang Songyi.
"This is a precious gift from my younger brother Ji Lei to Miss Jiang. Now I am returning it to its original owner. I owe Miss Jiang a great favor."
Jiang Songyi's eyes were as cold as ice, as if he could see into the deepest secrets of people's hearts. "No, you owe me a life."
In his previous life, Ji Ji had mistrusted others and been deceived into mistaking his benefactor, which led to the destruction of Jiang Songyi's family and the loss of her burial place. However, he was ultimately an accomplice to that tragedy, indirectly taking her life.
Ji Ji was shocked by the girl's frosty gaze. In an instant, he felt an indescribable strange feeling, as if the stars had reversed and fate had come full circle. Deep in his heart, he couldn't help but believe her words, as if he really owed her a lot.
He was full of doubts, which were difficult to resolve for a moment, but after careful consideration, he realized that his younger brother Ji Lei was his only blood relative and concern in this world. She saved him, so it seemed only natural that he owed her a life.
So, he stared at the girl with deep eyes and nodded slowly, "Okay."
From then on, he owed her his life.
"You Jinyiwei seem to be trying to uproot this old elm tree. If you're worried, you might as well dig up the entire tree."
Madam Jiang's somewhat sarcastic voice floated from the courtyard, her tone revealing dissatisfaction.
Jiang Songyi looked over when he heard the sound and realized that in just a moment, the area around the old elm tree in the courtyard had been dug into pits and holes. The situation was so serious that the ground had been dug three feet deep.
Even the old elm tree had gone through several rounds of searches, and its tender green branches and leaves had fallen down one after another, leaving the ground in a mess and looking desolate.
Finally, the Jinyiwei withdrew their hands, and one of them stepped forward and reported to Ji Ji, "Commander-in-Chief, after a thorough search, nothing suspicious was found."
Ji Ji nodded slightly, his expression still stern, without a trace of extra emotion.
Jiang Yuyao was filled with doubt and uncertainty, and from time to time she cast her concerned glances towards the old elm tree, and even quietly approached the place where she had buried the items before.
However, the soil there had been turned over again and again, and even a larger piece of gravel was difficult to find, let alone the voodoo doll she had buried long ago!
Perhaps she didn't bury it deep enough, and the frequent rains in recent days finally washed the hidden items out of the ground?
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