die
"Take her to the back mountain and show her what an apology is!" The masked man shook off Zi Yuan's hand and left. Song Zhimin was about to speak when he was forced away, while Zi Yuan was tied up by four maids and taken to the entrance of the back mountain.
Zi Yuan clutched the ceramic shards she had secretly brought out and slowly wrote on the hem of her skirt: "Song Zhimin betrayed, the masked men, numbering three hundred and sixty-seven, seek revenge."
The four maids who were guarding Ziyuan lowered their guard when they saw that she was not moving. "I need to use the restroom. Which of you will come with me?"
As soon as Ziyuan started speaking, all four of them looked at her in unison. "We'll go with you."
Two maids stood guard outside, hidden by the trees, keeping a close watch on Ziyuan.
"Can you all close your eyes? This is your place, do you think I'm going to run away?" Zi Yuan unbuttoned her skirt, letting the cold winter wind blow into her nightgown.
"Don't even think about playing any tricks!" The maid beside her turned around, but the maid standing guard outside could hear Zi Yuan's voice, ensuring that she could react immediately to any amiss.
The sound of tearing silk echoed through the woods. "My dress is torn!" Ziyuan exclaimed deliberately, speeding up her tying of the ribbons while clutching the tattered pieces of her dress tightly in her hand. Seizing the opportunity, she ran straight towards the largest tree nearby.
The four reacted and immediately gave chase, but Zi Yuan had already climbed up the tree trunk and blew the whistle around her neck. A few moments later, a pigeon flew to her hand.
Ziyuan quickly placed the fragments into the hollow wood, then picked up a charcoal pencil and swiftly wrote something down. Watching the masked man approach, she released a pigeon in front of him.
Zi Yuan stood on the tree, the wind blowing her tattered skirt. The setting sun shone on her, making her look like a lark in the sky. The masked man watched the pigeon fly away, picked up his bow and arrow, and tried to shoot it down, but the arrow missed.
"Looks like even the heavens aren't on your side!" Zi Yuan laughed heartily from the treetop, her laughter carried by the wind to Song Zhimin's ears.
"Song Zhimin, you'll die a horrible death!" Zi Yuan glared at Song Zhimin with hatred.
"His Highness took pity on your innocent family and saved you back then, but you repaid kindness with enmity. Your Song family was originally a family of loyal and righteous people, but you conspired with the wicked and used innocent people as human victims. Even Heaven would not stand by and watch!" The broken porcelain bottle in Ziyuan's hand glittered in the sunlight.
"Ah Jin, you always say I'm reckless, but now I can accomplish great things. Zhou Cong, remember to bring me plenty of dates!" Zi Yuan smiled as she looked at the people gathered below.
"You think you can use me as a trump card to threaten His Highness and Ah Jin? Keep dreaming! I'm not playing with you anymore!" Zi Yuan picked up a shard of porcelain and slashed it viciously at her neck. Her body fell to the ground like a kite with a broken string.
Song Zhimin saw only a sea of blood before his eyes. He shoved the maid aside like a madman and ran towards Ziyuan.
"Ziyuan, I'll save you! I don't want you to die!" Song Zhimin covered Ziyuan's neck, but bright red blood continued to flow from between his fingers.
"I don't want you, you're disgusting!" Zi Yuan glared at Song Zhimin with her last bit of strength. "You'll get your comeuppance!"
"Ziyuan, Ziyuan!" Song Zhimin hugged Ziyuan tightly, refusing to let go. "It shouldn't be like this!" Song Zhimin's mind went blank, as if struck by lightning. He remembered how Ziyuan had looked at him with curious eyes at the manor, how they had once stolen pastries together, and how they had been close friends.
"Song Zhimin, you'll suffer a terrible death!" These words haunted Song Zhimin, as if Zi Yuan's ghost refused to let him go.
"Drag her body down and bury her. Cover up her death, or who knows what Jiang Jin might do." The masked man coldly stared at Song Zhimin, who was weeping bitterly before him.
"Stop pretending. Wasn't it your idea to kidnap her that day? Now you're trying to play the good guy. You should be thinking about how to make amends. Throw those four who didn't watch over her properly into the back mountain." The masked man glanced at the corpses on the ground and hurriedly left.
"Ziyuan, I'm sorry." Song Zhimin carried Ziyuan's body step by step towards the house. He wiped the blood from her face and had a maid change her into clean clothes.
"Have someone buy the best coffin and bury her in the back mountain." Zi Yuan's body was already cold, but the hatred in her eyes had not faded. Song Zhimin carefully covered her eyes. "I will atone for my sins to you."
"Get up." Jiang Jin was about to ask Abei to call Zhai Wan, but she didn't expect her to arrive so quickly.
"I woke up hungry. I wonder what the famous Wei family serves for breakfast?" Zhai Wan was picking up her bowl and chopsticks when she saw Jiang Jin take a small silver hairpin out of a box.
“The three of us will each have one; ours is silver, and Your Highness's is gold.” Jiang Jin smiled as she tucked the silver hairpin into Zhai Wan’s hair.
"It feels pretty good. Ziyuan has been saying she wanted a silver hairpin for a long time, and this time her wish can come true. We can have someone poison it, making it another deadly weapon." Zhai Wan shook her head from side to side, watching the pearls on the silver hairpin sway, and her mood improved a bit.
"By the way, how did yesterday go? Did it go smoothly?" Jiang Jin asked, looking at Zhai Wan who was drinking porridge from a bowl.
"Successfully. His Highness personally visited Lady Song after she was injured, so the news must have reached Song Zhimin's ears. Now we'll see what he does." Zhai Wan took a bite of her soft steamed bun. "Your cooks are quite skilled!"
"Of course, after a long day out, you need to eat well at home to be happy." Jiang Jin smiled and placed the giant sago pearl in front of Zhai Wan. "It was specially made. It's not as good as the ones in the palace, but it's still quite good."
"Wang Wu Niangzi sent word that the Third Prince has been very impatient lately," Zhai Wan said to Jiang Jin, recalling this news.
"Wang Wu Niangzi?" Jiang Jin was somewhat surprised, and her hand holding the chopsticks unconsciously stopped.
“Yes, His Highness helped her in her time of crisis. Humans and animals need good trees to roost in. Although she is the Third Prince’s wife, will the Wang family really side with the Third Prince? If the Third Prince ascends the throne, can she really hold onto her position as Empress?” Zhai Wan said with a smile as she drank her porridge. “Besides, she is a person, not an object. How can she be cherished when needed and discarded like worn-out shoes when not needed?”
"But the Crown Prince has been quiet lately. The Fourth and Fifth Princes are engaged in open and covert struggles, while he sits back and reaps the benefits—he should be happy." Jiang Jin knew these princes somewhat; the Third Prince, after years of fighting with the Crown Prince, shouldn't be so restless.
"Who knows? Maybe he's just in a bad mood. Anyway, these princes are very calculating; they can come up with thirty different interpretations from a single comment." Zhai Wan didn't take any of this to heart, eating her jujube while glancing at the maids in the courtyard.
"Did Wei Shu give you the power to manage the household?" Zhai Wan noticed the Wei family's account books on Jiang Jin's table.
"I guess so. Anyway, having the key to the storeroom means I basically hold his life in my hands, right?" Although Jiang Jin liked money, she would still inform Wei Shu before touching anything in the storeroom.
"You could also check his villas and estates; they might hold even more gold and silver treasures. After all, even a cunning rabbit has three burrows, let alone Wei Shu, who has been navigating the officialdom since childhood." Zhai Wan poked Jiang Jin's head in exasperation at her nonchalant attitude.
"Wei Shu is His Majesty's confidant, and he must possess countless rare treasures. If you were to break off all ties with him and only be able to take your dowry, wouldn't that be too tragic!"
Zhai Wan knew that Wei Shu doted on Jiang Jin, showering her with care and affection, but if their beauty faded and their love ended, only money could comfort her.
"Don't worry, this isn't over yet. He won't risk breaking ties with me. Besides, even if it were over, the damage would be done, and it's uncertain whether he'd live to see the day he betrays me." Jiang Jin didn't take these concerns to heart.
"Love flows like water. Now that I am an official, my most important task is to help His Highness and the people. As for the Wei family, they only manage the accounts. Given Wei Shu's personality, he doesn't have much of a social obligation." Abei added some charcoal to the fire.
"The Lady's distribution of porridge has caused much discussion among the officials' families, who wonder if it is His Majesty's idea. As a result, many officials' families have followed the Lady's example, and some have even distributed porridge in other prefectures."
"Your wife is used to this. The clothing workshop allocates a sum of money every year to help the people, so the people naturally give back to the workshop." Zhai Wan smiled, revealing a gold bracelet on her wrist. Although the craftsmanship wasn't exquisite, it was skillfully made.
"Who gave you this?" Jiang Jin immediately knew from Zhai Wan's boastful expression that she was just teasing her.
"You know perfectly well what I'm asking." Zhai Wan picked up the handkerchief from her waist and threw it at Jiang Jin. "She said it was a New Year's gift, hoping I would return safely."
"Don't worry, we'll definitely get back safely. I'll make you a dowry; there are plenty of good things in the storeroom that you won't be able to take your eyes off." Jiang Jin covered her mouth and laughed. Abei glanced at the time and reminded Jiang Jin, "Madam, it's almost time. We should go see Mo Niang's family."
Jiang Jin nodded and said to Zhai Wan without any formalities, "You go back by yourself, I have things to do today."
"Alright, if Song Zhimin has any issues, go to the clothing store immediately." Zhai Wan stopped bothering Jiang Jin, but seeing her change into gorgeous clothes, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Jiang Jin looks even more stunning in fine clothes."
Jiang Jin sat in the main hall, while Abei stood beside her and poured her tea. "Madam rarely wears such gorgeous clothes."
"Women love beauty, and I'm no exception. However, dresses are too cumbersome and inconvenient, so I rarely wear fancy clothes. But since I'm going to see Mo Niang's family today, I naturally have to dress up." Jiang Jin closed her eyes, wondering if Song Zhimin would contact her if he made any moves.
Before you could finish a cup of tea, a maid's voice came from outside, "Madam, Lady Mo and her family have come to pay their respects."
Ah Bei lifted the heavy curtain, smiled, and said to the people outside, "Come in quickly, Madam has been talking about you this morning."
A group of simply dressed people suddenly noticed Jiang Jin and seemed a little flustered. "Greet her with proper greetings!" Mo Niang said in a low, angry voice, glancing at the unruly children.
"No need, it must be hard for you all in this freezing weather." A maid placed several bowls of hot tea on the table. "Please sit down, don't be so formal." Jiang Jin took a sip of tea, observing the fabric of their clothes and noting that their calluses seemed genuine.
"Mo Niang, you can stay in the capital with peace of mind. If you encounter any difficulties, just come to Abei." Jiang Jin smiled at the young woman sitting timidly below. "Abei, have the kitchen make some easy-to-digest pastries suitable for children."
"Yes." Ah Bei accepted the order and went out, naturally having devised a method to test the waters.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com