Chapter 9 The Truth Comes Out "If things go wrong, you and she will die together."...
"Don't you want to hear what the young master of the Jiang family has to say to his second wife?"
Seeing Qin Jin stride confidently toward the gate of the mansion, Princess Yu'an tried to persuade him to stay.
Since being detained at the manor, Jiang Shiyan has fallen ill and never recovered. People from the Jiang family often come to make a scene, crying and causing trouble. Princess Yu'an is extremely troubled, but she is not willing to release him easily before the matter is settled.
Fortunately, Jiang Shiyan's condition improved a couple of days ago. After resting for two days, he was finally able to get up. Today, he even asked a guard to tell Xue Rongyue that he had something important to tell her.
Princess Yu'an was anxious about how to get rid of this hot potato. After learning about this, she sent a female official to the Xue residence to summon Xue Rongyue to come over.
Pushing aside the peach branches brimming with spring's vibrant energy blocking his way, Qin Jin paused upon hearing this, his mind involuntarily recalling the deafening words he had overheard while standing under the eaves of the Taoist temple that day.
"You were so gentle and considerate back then."
"You clearly love me, yet you're willing to hurt me like this today..."
"You can fool others, but you can't fool yourself. You clearly love me both..."
......
Qin Jin couldn't help but shiver.
He couldn't believe it.
How exactly did Jiang Shiyan utter such cheesy words?
Furthermore, this person's eyesight is terrible; he probably hasn't read many books and can't even read a few characters.
Is it really possible to describe Xue Rongyue as gentle and considerate? It's simply unbelievable.
Qin Jin had always been impatient with dealing with fools and self-important illiterates, and Jiang Shiyan was both. He really didn't want to be in the same room with him. Coming to his senses, he waved his hand, quickened his pace, and rushed out of the princess's residence without looking back.
As Qin Jin's carriage was being ushered into the princess's residence, it was just starting to move. Seeing that the two of them had just avoided the carriage, the female official breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention to lead the way.
Knowing that Princess Yu'an intended to ease the tension between the two, the lady-in-waiting carefully chose her words and said softly, "Yesterday, the lady sent over some pastries from Xie Fangzhai. Prince Qin ate a piece and praised them highly."
This is utter nonsense.
Yesterday, Qin Jin tasted a piece of white jade frost cake and found it too sweet, so he gave it all to the servants.
But this statement was indeed unexpected for Xue Rongyue. She stopped in her tracks and widened her eyes: "He really ate it?"
Noticing that Xue Rongyue's expression had changed, the female official said with a smile, "Absolutely no exaggeration."
"..."
Tsk.
Xue Rongyue immediately felt regretful and remorseful.
If she had known he would dare to eat it this time, she would have really had Jingnu put some laxative in it. What a waste of such a good opportunity.
***
Although Xu and her son violated the imperial law by plotting to poison him, Princess Yu'an did not make things too difficult for them out of respect for the Jiang family. They were provided with the best of everything, and for Jiang Shiyan's illness, she even summoned two imperial physicians to stay at her residence to take care of him, for fear that he would die in her princess's residence and bring bad luck upon her.
When Xue Rongyue entered the courtyard, Jiang Shiyan had just finished drinking his medicine.
The bitter smell of medicine wafted from the branches, carried by the surging spring breeze. He stood in the Peony Pavilion in a corner of the courtyard, coughed twice, his slender figure hidden behind a carved glass screen.
Separated by the screen, Xue Rongyue cut to the chase: "You insist on seeing me, what clues do you have?"
Jiang Shiyan's face was ashen, and he looked sickly. He stared blankly at the graceful figure behind the screen, and upon hearing this, he coughed violently again.
Xue Rongyue frowned impatiently, feeling deeply uncomfortable as the sticky, burning gaze pierced through the screen.
Just as her patience was about to run out, Jiang Shiyan finally stopped coughing.
With a gasp, he suddenly stepped out from behind the screen, ignoring the guards and maids' attempts to stop him.
Jingnu strode forward and stopped him. Under Xue Rongyue's shocked and angry gaze, he stared at her for a long time, then lifted his robe and knelt down with his head bowed: "Madam Xue, this matter was all caused by me. I have no complaints about being beaten or killed. Please forgive my mother."
Xue Rongyue sneered: "What are you going to use to negotiate with me?"
Jiang Shiyan looked up at her, his face filled with sorrow, tears welling up in his eyes: "My wife, I was disliked by my father from a young age and was abandoned at my maternal grandfather's house in Liangzhou. I only had my mother to rely on..."
A wave of annoyance washed over her. Xue Rongyue felt no pity for his words. She gave a short sneer and interrupted him directly: "Young Master Jiang, I have no interest in your tragic past. I advise you to say something that interests me. If you insist on being foolish, then the next time we meet, you should be in prison."
Jiang Shiyan's face froze.
He swayed for a few moments, then silently wiped away his tears, his face growing even paler.
In the chilling silence, he finally realized his situation, closed his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "My uncle is now the governor of Liangzhou. I know that you have been secretly investigating the matter of Xue Langjun being robbed and killed by bandits in Liangzhou for the past two years. I can help you, on the condition that my mother is spared."
Xue Rongyue's expression turned cold: "You sent someone to follow me?"
“I only wanted to help you out of your troubles, not to touch your wounds.”
With Princess Yu'an covering for him, Jiang Shiyan still believed that Xue Rongyue had really fallen into the water that day. He lowered his head in shame and said, "At that time, I mistakenly thought that you had feelings for me. I couldn't suppress my feelings and did something absurd. But I never thought of harming you. During the time I was bedridden, I felt extremely guilty and kept thinking about this matter."
"Initially, I was the one who fell for you, but the mistakes I made later were not just because I was delusional, nor am I trying to excuse myself... Since you have never received any of my letters, it is likely that the letters that were delivered to me were not written by you."
Xue Rongyue's eyes widened in surprise: "What letter?"
“As expected.” Jiang Shiyan said bitterly, “I fell in love with you at first sight during the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet last year, so I sent my personal servant Zhong Wei to find out about your background. Two months later, the servant brought me a letter from you, in which you said that you also... fell in love with me, but were too shy to say it directly.”
“Since then, we have been exchanging letters. On the Lantern Festival, I could sense your indifference, but after I returned home, your letter arrived. You said that there were many people by the river at the time, and you were worried about damaging your reputation, so you had to distance yourself from me. You also said that the handkerchief was the token of our love.”
"From now on, we can communicate through letters. When we meet, we should act like strangers. I have always kept my promise until I learned that you were going to marry into the Liu family."
Xue Rongyue's face darkened.
"When I mistakenly thought that we were in love, I unexpectedly learned that you were investigating the death of Xue Langjun back then. So I sent a message to my uncle's house in Liangzhou and learned that you suddenly sent someone to Liangzhou around the Mid-Autumn Festival. Now that I think about it, my personal servant must have been bribed long ago, and those letters were sent by him in your name at that time."
"It seems that there was something fishy about Xue Langjun's death, and that Xue Niangzi's investigation revealed her secrets to someone with ill intentions, who then used my wits to devise this vicious scheme. Since this person with ill intentions could set up this trap in the dark, they must know Xue Niangzi's whereabouts very well. It will probably not be easy for Xue Niangzi to investigate, but I am different. My uncle is in Liangzhou, and I am in poor health. Going to Liangzhou to recuperate will not arouse any suspicion."
Jiang Shiyan pleaded, "Even if it means going through fire and water, I will definitely investigate the death of Xue Langjun thoroughly. I only ask that Madam Xue forgive my mother. She... she only loved her son dearly and had no intention of harming you."
The gentle spring breeze ruffled the stray hairs at Xue Rongyue's temples. Yet she felt only a chill, as if her heart had fallen into an endless winter, the cold seeping into her bones, her palms covered in sticky, cold sweat.
At that moment, she clearly realized that an invisible hand was hiding behind her, weaving a large net, waiting for an opportunity to push her into an abyss.
Her breathing trembled, and Xue Rongyue's voice was tense: "Where are those letters?"
Before Jiang Shiyan could speak, the guard beside him respectfully opened the box in his hand and presented it to Xue Rongyue: "The Princess sent me to the Jiang residence, and I found these letters in the secret compartment of the study that Young Master Jiang mentioned."
Xue Rongyue opened the letters and scanned them quickly, her fingertips turning white as she held the paper, her face growing increasingly gloomy.
Jingnu looked up and her expression turned serious.
...The handwriting on these letters was exactly the same as that of her wife.
Her breathing became heavier, and Xue Rongyue gritted her teeth. Her heart was filled with extreme anger and coldness, which made her eyes grow even colder and darker.
The world has changed.
Dark clouds spread across the horizon like splashed ink, and the gloomy sky gradually swallowed the distant green mountains. A cool breeze rose, scattering the crabapple blossoms on the trees. The exquisite hexagonal palace lanterns under the eaves drifted uneasily in the gale.
Beneath layers of dark clouds, a bolt of lightning suddenly struck down, followed by a muffled boom.
A dim, ambiguous light fell on half of Xue Rongyue's body. She suddenly spoke, her voice as cold as ice: "Half a year." Jiang Shiyan was startled, puzzled.
Xue Rongyue's tone left no room for argument as she commanded, "I'll give you six months to investigate the events of that year and the whereabouts of those bandits. If you succeed, Xu can leave Qingxin Nunnery unscathed in five years. If you fail, you and she will die together."
Qingxin Nunnery was a place where the royal family punished members of the imperial clan who had made mistakes. Although one's life was not in danger upon entering the nunnery, one would certainly suffer a lot. After all, servants were not allowed to enter, and one had to rely on oneself for food, clothing, and shelter. One also had to do chores and chant sutras every day. It was hardly a place of pampered comfort.
Xue Rongyue did not want to let Xu and her son off lightly, but this was the best option at the moment. Although she did not trust Jiang Shiyan, as he said, his uncle was the governor of Liangzhou. If she really forced Xu and her son to their deaths, the Xu family would not let it go and would definitely make things difficult for her in this matter.
Jiang Shiyan knew that if Xue Rongyue complained to the government or the emperor, even if they weren't punished with caning, he and his mother would still face tattooing and imprisonment.
He understood even more clearly that this was the biggest concession Xue Rongyue could make.
He kowtowed deeply to Xue Rongyue and solemnly promised, "I will remember your great kindness, my lady. Please rest assured, I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly!"
A note from the author:
----------------------
Not letting this male supporting character go is just a stopgap measure.
In the next chapter, Xiaoyue will be going to do her conquest! [Sprinkling flowers]
Next chapter preview:
Qin Jin: Xue Rongyue, are you going to kill me? I'll haunt you even as a ghost! I'll be kneeling by your bedside after I die!! [Burning with sobs]
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