Chapter 22 Chapter 22 The lips explored the place of revival...
The wooden door fell down with a bang. Lu Changji stepped into the house and saw two burly men lying straight on the green carpet. Their eyes were closed, their faces were ashen, and blood was still flowing from their foreheads. The blood kept flowing and slowly soaked the carpet.
Looking up from the direction of the big man's head, there was a black lacquered wooden stool standing next to him. At this moment, Jiang Shu, with disheveled clothes and half-exposed shoulders, was standing on the stool. She was holding a broken porcelain bottle in her hand, staring blankly at the big man in a pool of blood.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Jiang Shu slowly shifted her gaze towards the door. She was stunned for a moment, then suddenly jumped off the wooden bench and walked quickly to Lu Changji's side.
Like a drowning person finding a piece of driftwood, she suddenly grabbed Lu Changji's sleeve, staring at him intently, and said in a hurry: "Uncle, I killed someone! I, I..."
Logically, two women had no chance of winning against two tall and strong men, but none of them expected Zhu'er to be so strong that she could knock one of the men to the ground with just a chair.
The other man was on guard and pushed Zhu'er away with force, then turned around and tore Jiang Shu's clothes. He remembered his employer's instructions well, that as long as he could destroy Jiang Shu's innocence, he would receive a generous reward.
Jiang Shu was delicate and gentle, and even if she tried her best, she could not defeat the man. In a moment, her clothes were torn to pieces by the man.
At this moment, Zhu'er came forward, grabbed the man's collar and pulled it back. The man was furious and clenched his fist and hit Zhu'er's cheek hard. Zhu'er was beaten unconscious, but the man was still not satisfied and kicked Zhu'er in the lower abdomen again.
Seeing this, Jiang Shu hurriedly picked up the vase beside her. Because the man was so tall, she was afraid that she would miss him, so she stood on the wooden stool and used all her strength to throw the vase at the man's head.
As the blood on the carpet thickened, Jiang Shu grew increasingly frightened. Although she felt uneasy, she had no regrets. If she had to do it again, she would still choose to protect Zhu'er.
She looked sad, with tears in her eyes, and she looked panicked and pitiful.
The slender body kept shaking, like a willow tree battered by the cold wind, which seemed likely to break at any time.
Lu Changji's eyes flickered slightly. He pulled his sleeve out of Jiang Shu's hand, took off his coat, and covered her with it. He said softly, "With me here, you don't have to be afraid of anything. Tell me, what happened just now?"
The loose clothes covered her body, emitting the scent of green bamboo. The scent was quiet and soft, which quickly dispelled the fear in Jiang Shu's heart and calmed her down.
She stood up straight, asked someone to send Zhu'er to the clinic for treatment, and then told Lu Changji the whole story.
Lu Changji was in charge of the Ministry of Justice and had tried countless cases. He was able to deduc the motives of the person behind the criminals after only listening to the beginning.
He lowered his head to look at Jiang Shu and whispered, "I'll have the guards escort you back to the mansion. When you get back, take a good rest and just pretend nothing happened. I'll give you an explanation in three days."
As if nothing happened, it means helping her conceal what just happened.
Although Jiang Shu did not lose her virginity, her clothes had been torn to shreds by the criminals. If people knew that she had behaved inappropriately in front of the criminals, she would never be able to hold her head up high again.
Jiang Shu had been extremely worried, but after hearing Lu Changji's words, her turbulent heart finally settled down. She knew that no matter how difficult the problem, he could handle it perfectly.
Lu Changji has always been a person that makes people trust and feel at ease.
The situation was urgent, so Jiang Shu didn't bother to say much. She bowed to Lu Changji and went downstairs with Lu Changji's entourage.
Jiang Ran and Zhu Ningxue sat leisurely in the house, eating tea and talking. Qing was waiting for good news, but he waited and waited but heard nothing.
Both of them were impatient and couldn't sit still, so they stood up and went to the next room to find out the news.
The two of them walked to the door of the private room, and before they could stand still, they felt a fierce pressure coming towards them. They raised their heads, but there was no sign of Jiang Shu in the room. Only Lu Changji was standing in the middle of the room like a green pine.
Lu Changji was in a high position, and his majesty was ingrained in his bones. If he did not deliberately restrain his power, even the high officials in charge of a region would tremble in fear when they saw him, let alone two young girls who had never seen the world.
Jiang Ran was frightened by his gaze and bowed respectfully: "Lu, Master Lu..."
Lu Changji ignored her and turned his gaze to Zhu Ningxue.
Zhu Ningxue was calmer than Jiang Ran, but her mind was more vicious. She said, "Just now, Madam Jiang and I were drinking tea next door when we heard the wife of the prince of Xinyang Marquis's mansion crying for help, mixed with a man's low growl.
We were worried about the Crown Prince's wife, so we hurried over. Did you hear her cries for help, and that's why you came to rescue her?"
Zhu Ningxue didn't know what had happened in the house, and she didn't know whether Jiang Shu had escaped before Lu Changji appeared, or whether Lu Changji deliberately protected Jiang Shu and let her hide.
If it was the first case, her answer would let Lu Changji know that Jiang Shu had been defiled. If it was the second case, it would be fine. Even if Lu Changji covered up Jiang Shu's shame in front of outsiders for the Lu family's reputation, behind closed doors, how could he allow a woman who had lost her virginity to continue to survive in the Marquis's mansion?
The more Zhu Ningxue thought about it, the more she felt that she was smart, but she didn't expect that Lu Changji looked at her with such a sharp gaze, as if he wanted to torture her to pieces.
The room was completely silent, and Zhu Ningxue's nerves were stretched to a taut tether. Lu Changji opened his thin lips, and a cold voice spilled out, "The Crown Prince's wife is very clever. She knows someone is trying to frame her, and before they even set foot in this room, they've already asked me to take the criminal to the Ministry of Justice."
"The young lady must have gone insane, and that's why she heard some unfounded voices. She should go home and see a doctor."
Lu Changji raised the corner of his lips slightly, his eyes fixed on Jiang Ran and Zhu Ningxue, his gaze suddenly sharp. "Those two criminals have no grudge against the Crown Prince's wife, so they would not murder her for no reason. Once I find out who is behind these criminals, I will handle the case impartially and bring that person to justice."
Lu Changji's voice was gentle, yet it left Jiang Ran and Zhu Ningxue feeling uneasy and terrified. By the time Lu Changji left, their legs were shaking, and they couldn't even stand steadily.
Zhu Ningxue looked at Jiang Ran and rebuked him in a low voice, "Didn't you say everything was under control? Why did you offend Lu Changji now?
I let Mrs. Zhu steal Lin's invitation because I wanted to help you. If the truth is revealed, I won't admit anything."
She actually wanted to clear herself of the matter by pushing the issue aside, but Jiang Ran would not let Zhu Ningxue have her way. She sneered and said sarcastically, "You are not trying to help me at all. You are obviously jealous of Jiang Shu's good marriage and want to drag her down with it, so you got involved with that old lady Zhu from the Wen Mansion.
Besides, my efforts weren't in vain. Wasn't the red gold halberd on your head a gift from me? Since you've accepted my benefits, don't even think about keeping yourself out of it!"
Jiang Ran's words were so convincing that they made Zhu Ningxue's heart ache. After a long argument, the two of them went home. Both of them were worried, and neither of them could feel at ease.
Jiang Shu returned to Xinchun Garden and just as she entered the flower hall, she saw Zhao Shi sitting angrily on the rose chair. The moment she saw her, Zhao Shi scolded her harshly: "The prince is feverish and unconscious, and you don't stay by his side to serve him, but instead run off to have fun outside. How unrestrained! Did our mansion marry a ancestor?"
Lu Changyi's health had just started to improve, so why did he have a fever again?
Jiang Shu didn't bother to deal with Zhao and rushed into the inner room. It was a hot day, but there was a pot of medicine in the room. Jiang Shu almost fainted from the smell of the boiling medicine.
She endured the heat and walked to Babu's bedside, where she saw Doctor Wen giving acupuncture to Lu Changyi. Lu Changyi's thin back was covered with silver needles, which were so thin and dense that it made people tremble.
Jiang Shu asked in a low voice, "Doctor Wen, the prince's condition has clearly improved, so why did he suddenly have a fever today?"
Doctor Wen inserted the last silver needle into Lu Changyi's Fengmen bloodstream, then stood up and washed his hands at the sink. He asked in a gentle voice, "Your Highness's pulse is weak and frail, like a piece of wood floating on water. He is very weak. Has your Highness done anything physically demanding recently?"
Laborious and exhausting? Jiang Shu suddenly remembered that Lu Changji had to walk to Yanxitang every day for the past month. For ordinary people, walking one or two miles a day is nothing, but for Lu Changji, who had been suffering from illness since childhood, it might not be so easy.
She answered truthfully, "The prince has been going to Yanxitang every day recently, but the journey is too far and his body can't handle it."
Doctor Sun stroked his beard and nodded, "For ordinary people, walking can strengthen the body, but the prince's physical foundation is too weak to withstand even the slightest exertion.
"Thank God, the prince only has a fever this time and is not seriously ill. If he gets sick again next time, the consequences will be disastrous. Madam, you must advise the prince more often and never let him go out for a walk."
Jiang Shu nodded quickly and personally escorted Doctor Wen to the door.
Lu Changyi finally woke up in the evening. As soon as he opened his eyes, he started clamoring to exercise. Jiang Shu had no choice but to persuade him: "The weather is so hot, why are you going for a walk, Prince? It's not too late to strengthen your body when the weather is cooler."
Others don’t understand Lu Changyi’s purpose of training, but Jiang Shu knows it very well. The fact that they didn’t consummate their marriage has always been a knot in Lu Changyi’s heart.
If Lu Changyi knew that he was so weak that he couldn't even take a step, he would be so sad. So Jiang Shu said it very tactfully.
Unexpectedly, Lu Changyi was very stubborn and refused to listen to any advice. He immediately called for the chief to get his coat.
At this time, the servant reported that the Third Master and the Third Madam had come to visit the Prince. Only then did Lu Changyi stop and lean back on the pillow.
But after a while, Lu Changfeng and Hu Lingshuang came in.
Hu Lingshuang was already a flamboyant person, and she became even more arrogant as her belly grew. After entering the room, she didn't even say hello to Jiang Shu, and sat directly on the rose chair next to the eight-immortals table.
Lu Changfeng not only did not reprimand her, but he let Hu Lingshuang do whatever she wanted. He said to Jiang Shu, "Shuang'er is pregnant and working hard. That rose chair is too hard. Second sister-in-law, could you please bring her an embroidered couch?"
Jiang Shu never cared about trivial matters and asked Fang Yu to move an embroidered couch for Hu Lingshuang.
Hu Lingshuang was not polite either. She leaned her body and fell softly onto the embroidered couch, as if Xinchunyuan was her private residence.
Lu Changfeng smiled helplessly, then turned his gaze to Lu Changyi and asked, "Is Second Brother feeling better?"
Lu Changyi had already been annoyed by Hu's rude behavior, but because she was his sister-in-law, he could not lose his temper and had to suppress his anger.
But his words were not polite after all. He glanced at Lu Changfeng and said unhappily, "Thanks to you, I'm still hanging on."
Lu Changfeng seemed not to notice his displeasure, and said with a smile: "I brought a hundred-year-old ginseng for Second Brother. I will have someone boil it for Second Brother to nourish his body.
When you are better, you can give birth to more children for our Lu family and fulfill father's wish."
Lu Changfeng just wanted to use the fact that Hu Lingshuang was pregnant to annoy Lu Changyi, but Lu Changyi thought that Lu Changfeng was mocking him for being weak and unable to have sex, so he reached out and grabbed the medicine bowl beside him and threw it away.
He coughed and scolded, "You rude thing, don't you think about your status? How dare you ride on my head and act so arrogantly?"
"As the saying goes, the eldest brother is like a father. Today, I will teach you some lessons on behalf of my father."
The medicine bowl shattered on Lu Changfeng's forehead, causing him to bleed profusely.
Not only Lu Changfeng, but even Hu Lingshuang was shocked. She jumped up from the embroidered couch and ran to Lu Changfeng to check his injuries.
Fortunately, it was only a superficial wound, and Hu Lingshuang finally felt relieved. She glanced at Lu Changyi and said sarcastically, "Second brother has a bad temper. If Third Master's words offended you, you should just scold him. Why did you resort to violence?
You hit him so badly, those who know you will say that you are fulfilling your elder brother's responsibility to educate your half-brother. Those who don't know you will think that you are enemies!"
There was a burning pain on his forehead, and Lu Changfeng wanted to kill Lu Changyi. Unfortunately, Lu Changyi was as weak as paper. Lu Changfeng dared to take advantage of Lu Changyi verbally, but he would never dare to fight with him.
If anything happened to Lu Changyi, Zhao would eat him alive. Lu Changfeng clenched his fists, glared at Lu Changyi fiercely, and walked out of the bedroom with Hu Lingshuang.
Jiang Shu was also frightened by Lu Changyi. She never expected him to be so irritable and easily angered. Jiang Shu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not say much. She just helped Lu Changyi calm down and comforted him softly.
Here, Lu Changfeng and his wife returned to Bihua Tower. Lu Changfeng's injuries were superficial, and the doctor quickly bandaged him. After the doctor left, the couple began to murmur.
Hu Lingshuang complained, "I only knew the Second Brother was frail, but I never imagined he was mentally unstable. You were just urging him to quickly expand the Marquisate, so why would he resort to such violence?"
Yes, even if Lu Changyi and his wife don’t have children now, they will have them sooner or later. Why would Lu Changyi be so violent?
Why, why...
Suddenly, an idea came into Lu Changfeng's mind. He lay back on the rattan chair and laughed out loud.
Hu Lingshuang was baffled. She picked up the pillow beside her and threw it at Lu Changfeng, saying angrily, "Did you go crazy after being hit by the second brother? You've clearly been wronged, so why are you still laughing wildly?"
Lu Changfeng stood up, hugged Hu Lingshuang in his arms, and whispered in her ear: "My second brother has never been hard since he was born. Do you think he will be unable to get hard there either?"
Hu Lingshuang's eyes rolled around in her sockets, and then she covered her lips and chuckled: "Third Master, you really are, really..."
Lu Changfeng grasped Hu Lingshuang's soft hand, pulled it to his lips and kissed it gently, jokingly saying, "People only get angry when they face their own shortcomings. I think the second brother is clearly angry out of shame."
Although Hu Lingshuang was more open-minded than other women, she was reluctant to discuss her uncle's hidden illness. She simply changed the subject: "Regardless of whether the second brother is impotent or not, he can't beat you up like this in vain. Tomorrow I'll go to Qingxu Temple and tell my aunt about this. As long as my aunt is here, she will never let you suffer in vain."
Lu Changfeng was very pleased with Hu Lingshuang's protection and he cherished her even more. He smiled and said, "My aunt sent a message saying that my father will be returning home in a few days and will stay at home for a few days."
In this way, there is no need to even go to Qingxu Temple, and Lu Changyi can reap what he sows, which is really gratifying.
When it was time for lunch, Lu Changyi was so angry that he didn't even want to eat. Jiang Shu persuaded him to eat half a bowl of glutinous rice porridge.
After lunch, Lu Changyi was accompanied by the servant back to his bedroom, while Jiang Shu was alone under the big locust tree to enjoy the cool air. At this time, Cheng Yong came in.
Cheng Yong bowed to Jiang Shu and said gently, "Your Excellency has already detained the man behind the two Guangyu Tower thugs and brought him to the Ministry of Justice. Second Madam, would you like to go and take a look?"
Although Jiang Shu had long known about Lu Changji's immense power, she hadn't expected him to find the mastermind so quickly. She went to her bedroom to change into her going-out clothes and followed Cheng Yong to the Ministry of Justice.
The Ministry of Justice is in charge of punishment. The officials working here all inherit Lu Changji's rigorous and restrained style, acting calmly and not asking any questions that are not necessary.
When the jailer saw Cheng Yong coming in with a beautiful woman, he followed Lu Changji's instructions and led them to the Jinyi Division, which was specially used to detain officials' families.
Officials and their families are very careful about their reputation. Even if the women in their family really do something illegal, they will cover it up if possible.
Therefore, in such a large Jinyisi, there were only a few people imprisoned, and Jiang Ran and Zhu Ningxue stood out among them.
Cheng Yong whispered the whole story to Yu Jiangshu, then turned around and waited outside.
Jiang Ran and Jiang Shu have always been at odds with each other. Jiang Shu could have expected that Jiang Ran was the culprit behind the scenes, but she never expected that Zhu Ningxue would also plot to murder her. After all, she and Zhu Ningxue had no grudges against each other and they had never even spoken to each other.
Jiang Shu strode up to Zhu Ningxue, raised her arm and slapped Zhu Ningxue without saying a word.
She used all her strength in this slap, and a red palm print faintly appeared on Zhu Ningxue's cheek.
Zhu Ningxue's cheeks were burning with pain, but she didn't even dare to cry. When the officers and soldiers from the Ministry of Justice came to the Zhu Mansion to arrest her, Zhu's father learned the whole story. Not only did he not plead for her, but he also spread the word that if she could not get the forgiveness of the Crown Prince's wife, she would die with the crime.
The Crown Prince's wife was Prime Minister Lu's brother's wife. To offend the Crown Prince's wife was to offend Prime Minister Lu. The Zhu family would never offend Prime Minister Lu for the sake of a daughter.
Zhu Ningxue didn't expect things to develop to this point. How could she, an outsider, become the culprit?
She glared at Jiang Ran with hatred. It was all Jiang Ran's fault. If Jiang Ran hadn't begged her, she wouldn't have done such a sin. This unprovoked disaster was all caused by Jiang Ran.
She burst into tears and cried bitterly: "Madam, it was Jiang Ran. It was Jiang Ran who begged me to introduce her to the Wen family's maid. That's why I made a mistake."
"I know I did something wrong, but the mastermind behind this was Jiang Ran. Although I made a mistake, it doesn't deserve the death penalty.
My father said, "If I don't get your forgiveness, I'll kill myself. Please, please forgive me! As long as you forgive me, I'll do anything for you, even if it means working like a slave, and I won't complain."
The crime is not punishable by death. How can it be said that the crime is not punishable by death? If Zhu'er had not been stronger than an ordinary woman, Jiang Shu would have lost her innocence long ago. How can a woman who has lost her innocence continue to live?
Jiang Shu sneered and glared at Zhu Ningxue, saying, "If it weren't for my maid's alertness, I would have been the one to commit suicide.
Why should I forgive someone who wants to kill me? There may be someone in this world who will repay evil with kindness, but that person will definitely not be me."
In the compartment, Jiang Ran was staring at Jiang Shu with resentment in her eyes. She seemed to be fearless. No matter how proud Jiang Shu was, it could not matter. After all, the family was connected and if one suffered, all would suffer. Could it be that Jiang Shu could send her own sister to her death with her own hands?
Furthermore, Lin and Jiang Rong were still in the hands of Yang, so Jiang Shu had to be wary of them.
Jiang Ran despised Zhu Ningxue for being spineless and tried her best to ridicule Jiang Shu. However, Jiang Shu had no intention of arguing with her at all. She just gave her an extremely strange smile.
Jiang Shu didn't say a word to Jiang Ran, turned around and left the Jinyi Division.
Cheng Yong was still waiting at the door. When he saw Jiang Shu coming out, he said softly, "My Lord, you have something to discuss with the Second Mistress."
Jiang Shu nodded and followed Cheng Yong into the inner hall. Lu Changji was handling official business, his slender fingers gripping a file, his expression gentle and elegant. He looked less like the Minister of Justice, who held the power of life and death, and more like a scholar who had left the world.
Seeing that Lu Changji was busy, Jiang Shu remained silent and sat quietly to the side, waiting. After waiting for a while, Lu Changji finally put down the file in his hand.
He looked at Jiang Shu and went straight to the point: "Although the young lady of the Zhu family and your sister had evil intentions, they ultimately failed. According to the law, they should be detained for ten days and given twenty strokes of the cane.
Do you have any ideas? If you don't want to let them off easily, there are ways to deal with them."
Jiang Shu's eyes widened. She had rarely been out of the house, but she had heard of Lu Changji's reputation for loyalty to the emperor, patriotism, and integrity. How come when the time came, he was completely contrary to the rumors?
Lu Changji seemed to have read Jiang Shu's mind. He curled his lips slightly and said, "No one can become a powerful official simply by being upright and honest. My sister-in-law is still a little naive!"
Jiang Shu smiled shyly, feeling quite ashamed. Her uncle was extremely powerful and had unparalleled wisdom. How could she possibly guess what he was capable of?
She simply skipped the topic and said softly, "I appreciate your kindness, uncle, but you don't need to make plans for me. Just deal with the young lady of the Zhu family and my second sister according to the law."
Jiang Shu had her own ideas, so Lu Changji stopped interfering and ordered Cheng Yong to serve her a cup of tea.
The room quieted down, and Jiang Shu couldn't help but think of what happened at Biyun Terrace. She felt a little uneasy for a moment. She took a few sips of tea and excused herself.
At this moment, he suddenly discovered that the blue sea and cloud cliff pattern embroidery on the hem of Lu Changji's clothes had a little silk thread caught. He was the Minister of Justice, and if someone saw that there was a flaw in his official uniform, he would inevitably be criticized.
Jiang Shu hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Uncle, the embroidery on your official uniform has caught a little. How about I help you fix it?"
All the people working in the Ministry of Justice are men, and no one except Jiang Shu can do this kind of work.
Lu Changji nodded and ordered Cheng Yong to go to the market to buy needle and thread.
Jiang Shu was skilled in embroidery, and she could mend the embroidery on Lu Changji's hem with only a dozen stitches. Logically, she should have asked Lu Changji to take off his official uniform and then mend it.
Thinking of Zhao's coercion, she squatted down in front of Lu Changji and started mending his clothes.
Jiang Shu lowered her head, almost level with Lu Changji's thigh. As her fingers flew up and down while sewing, her head swayed slightly. From Lu Changji's angle, it looked like she was giving him...
The place that had been quiet for a few days suddenly showed signs of revival.
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