Chapter 545 What happened back then?
After saying this, he noticed that Dongzang was standing there in a daze.
Jiang Nuanzhi frowned: "Hey, what are you thinking about?"
Dongzang tugged at his hair and suddenly said, "Madam, I'm thinking of a solution. The Emperor has sent people to protect us this time. Do you think we should inform the Emperor and ask him to cancel the order?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nuanzhi burst into laughter: "...pushed it?"
"The Emperor is so pleased that I go there every day."
Jiang Nuanzhi rubbed her temples: "This way, wouldn't he be able to legitimately find out about the situation at Xiao Yuanshan's residence? I'd be grateful he wouldn't let me seize the opportunity to kill Xiao Yuanshan."
Dongzang listened, stunned: "His Majesty is the General's close friend, surely he wouldn't do such a thing? His Majesty was also in a difficult position regarding what happened back then."
Jiang Nuanzhi turned her head to look at her: "What exactly happened back then? What kind of entanglement did Sister Li Sheng and Mr. and Mrs. Xiao Yuanshan have? Tell me in detail."
Dongzang was taken aback: "Madam, I was fighting on the front lines back then, so I don't know much about what happened in the capital."
Jiang Nuanzhi: "Just tell me what you know. I'm sure you know more than I do."
"All I know is that when I was young, Regent Xiao Yuanshan was the son-in-law of the General's Mansion, and he and Miss Li Sheng were a perfect couple praised by everyone in the capital. The marriage was arranged by imperial decree that Xiao Yuanshan himself had requested."
Back then, the late emperor was still alive, the regent was just a minor prince, and the old general was only a third-rank general, far less prestigious than the general later became in the army. The regent acted like a respectable person, not only obtaining an imperial edict but also personally bringing the three letters and six gifts to propose marriage.
The marriage was arranged back then, and the old general was overjoyed. I even received a huge bag of silver. And there was that pine nut candy that even the young maids couldn't afford normally.
As Dongzang spoke, he seemed to be lost in his childhood memories: "Their wedding was especially lively. I was still young then, and my older brother carried me on his shoulders as we gathered at the gate of the mansion with a group of people to wish them a happy wedding."
I still remember that day, riding a tall horse with a big red flower on his chest, his face turning bright red from the generals' teasing. Looking back now, he was quite the actor.
If I hadn't known how ruthless he became later, I probably would have truly thought he was completely obsessed with the young lady.
As she said this, she gritted her teeth: "Miss must have been deceived by him as well. That day, she dealt with the group of jeers who were making a fuss, helped him out of the predicament, and left the house hand in hand with him."
Jiang Nuan was taken aback. She had pieced together the fact that Xiao Yuanshan and Li Sheng had been husband and wife from what others had said. But hearing Dong Cang say it this way gave her a completely different feeling.
How old were they back then?
"Miss was one of the last to get married in the capital, at the age of twenty-two. Xiao Yuanshan was three years older than Miss, so he was twenty-five at the time."
Jiang Nuanzhi nodded: "And then?"
Dongzang gulped down a mouthful of tea and continued, "Later, the good times didn't last long. Less than half a year after their marriage, Xiao Yuanshan was implicated in a case of a prince's rebellion. The old general and the general were fighting on the front lines."
To save Xiao Yuanshan's life, the young lady gave him the Feather Guard token that the old general had given him as part of his dowry. This token is the Ghost Feather Guard that Xiao Yuanshan now commands and is feared by all.
She herself led a group of people to the territory of the Liang King to work on his behalf.
Miss Liang, always decisive and efficient, finally uncovered the evidence that the Prince of Liang had framed her. However, upon returning to the capital, she found Li Mingyu accompanying Xiao Yuanshan.
Looking back now, it must have been Xiao Yuanshan who, after obtaining the Ghost Feather Guard token, turned ruthless and insisted on marrying Li Mingyu as his concubine.
The young lady couldn't tolerate any imperfections, so she divorced him and remarried someone else.
I thought the two of them would each find their own good match, and that would be the end of it.
However, Xiao Yuanshan repeatedly ambushed and attempted to assassinate the young lady.
Later, the man who became involved with the young lady was Duke Wei, who is now the elder brother of General Wei Ke.
Duke Wei was a man of great literary talent, and Miss Wei was a brave and skilled warrior. The two of them held their own against Xiao Yuanshan, not to mention that the general was already known as a god of war back then, and the Li family was at the height of its power.
The stalemate lasted for several years until the Li family was embroiled in a treasonous incident. Duke Wei was poisoned, and the young lady was pregnant. The two were besieged at Huguo Temple.
The young lady died in childbirth at Huguo Temple. Overwhelmed with grief, Duke Wei followed her in death, leaving behind only three children.
As he spoke, Dongzang's eyes reddened: "Xiao Yuanshan is extremely vicious, he even harmed children! If the general hadn't defied the imperial decree and rushed back, everyone would have died at his hands!"
As she spoke, she took a deep breath: "Later, the general, who was already embroiled in the treason scandal, was punished for dereliction of duty. I don't know what happened in the court, but I know that when I heard the news again, the Li family had been completely destroyed. The general and his three children had been exiled, and we couldn't find them no matter how hard we tried."
Jiang Nuanzhi's heart pounded as she listened. With just a few words, she could already sense the carnage and bloodshed within.
The two remained silent for a while before Jiang Nuanzhi finally asked, "What about Li Mingyu? What is her background?"
Speaking of Li Mingyu, Dongzang was so angry that he smashed the tray to pieces with a bang. He didn't even notice the wood chips piercing his flesh.
"She's an ungrateful slut!"
"You're angry, but don't hurt yourself." Jiang Nuanzhi frowned as she examined Dongzang's hand, carefully pulling out the wood shavings embedded in his palm.
Dongzang continued, "She was an orphan girl that Miss brought back from the front lines. At first, she was Miss's maid. Later, when Miss learned that her father was an old general who died in battle on the border, she asked the old general to take her in as his adopted daughter. Not only did she not know how to repay the kindness, she also stole Miss's husband. She is shameless. I feel disgusted when I see Xiao Yuanshan with her."
Jiang Nuanzhi listened, raising her eyebrows repeatedly.
Having read extensively, she felt the plot was very familiar.
"So, could it be that her legs were ruined because of Xiao Yuanshan? Her legs were already ruined when Sister Li Sheng went out?"
Dongzang shook her head: "Dongzang doesn't know about that, but her legs were fine before. Back then, she followed Miss around every day, calling her 'elder sister' all day long. Miss doted on her even more than the general."
"Madam, when you treat her, could you just give her some rat poison and kill her?"
Dongzang said, his gums clenched with hatred: "For so many years, the young lady and the general have been persecuted, while this pair of scoundrels are enjoying great power and influence in the capital. Heaven has no eyes!"
Even as she spoke, she realized it was impossible to do so, and sighed, "Now Xiao Yuanshan is putting on this act of deep affection for Li Mingyu, it's utterly disgusting. He even said he wants Madam to cure Li Mingyu within three months. Madam, are you confident? How exactly do we get out of this mess?"
As he spoke, he went to check on Jiang Nuanzhi. Such a good lady like her must not suffer from Xiao Yuanshan's cruelty again!
(End of this chapter)
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