Chapter 173 Ji Chen, the Victim and Crying Girl
As they left the Zhang family home, Zhang Yumo hugged Feng Jingyuan and said gently, "Mother, thank you. Thank you for taking care of me, staying with me, and tolerating my willfulness all these days."
"Silly child, what mother wouldn't forgive her child? Now that you're Jinyan's wife, you're my daughter-in-law. I know you're heartbroken and sad about this big thing. If you want to cry, just cry it out. It'll make you feel better."
But Yumo, your grandparents must have foreseen that they would be saddened by your passing. I think they certainly don't want you to be unhappy or torment yourself. If they knew that, they wouldn't be able to leave in peace.” That was all Feng Jingyuan could say to comfort her.
"Yes, I understand." It wasn't that she couldn't feel Jiang's mother's concern; she just wanted to let loose this one last time. This was the last time she would cry freely in the Zhang family. She was also thinking that if she hadn't gotten married, her grandparents might not have died. It was all her fault; it was her willfulness that had harmed them.
Her second aunt died, and she had no one to ask why, and no one to seek revenge against.
After seeing Feng Jingyuan off, Jiang Fenghua and Zhang Yumo boarded the carriage together.
Jiang Fenghua asked, "Where are you going now, sister-in-law?"
Zhang Yumo quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, her expression completely changed, "I want to see Ji Chen, is it possible for me to see him?"
Jiang Fenghua was stunned. She couldn't do anything to Ji Chen now, so why would she go to him? Now that Madam Zhang had confessed to arson, the Zhang family's affairs had nothing to do with Ji Chen anymore.
Zhang Yumo pulled her hand. "I won't blame you. This matter wasn't entirely your fault. Wang Mama told me everything that happened at the Zhang family on my wedding day. Second Aunt dared to commit murder and arson, so it couldn't have been her idea alone. Grandmother offended Second Aunt to protect me. I just feel that I'm so useless that they harmed Grandmother and Grandfather."
Her eyes were red.
"Alright, I'll take you to see him, but you have to tell me everything about the Zhang family after you got married, down to the smallest detail." She wanted to see just how stubborn Ji Chen really was; was he really not afraid of death to help the Su family?
Zhang Yumo slowly said, "The third day after Jin Yan and I got married was our homecoming ceremony. When we returned, we didn't notice anything. The Zhang family was very calm. However, I saw my cousin Zhang Yuyan. She looked very happy and bought a lot of things. Later, I found out that she was getting married, but even my grandmother didn't know about it."
Later, we returned to the Jiang family. His Highness Prince Heng sent someone to find Jin Yan. He and the Prince had been busy with border affairs. I was also at the Jiang residence. Two days later, my cousin left the Zhang family with her luggage to go find her mother. My grandparents were in poor health and couldn't manage so much. It was only when the maids let slip that I found out she had married someone in the border region. I didn't even know who she married. How could someone as proud as my cousin get married without telling me or showing off? I found it strange too.
Given my second aunt's personality, she wouldn't have held a small celebration; in fact, she would have wanted it to be grand and lavish. However, she secretly sent my cousin away. Perhaps because my second uncle had divorced her and sent her back to her parents' home, no one knew about it.
Jiang Fenghua asked in confusion, "I guess your cousin married into the Su family. I remember that the old lady of the Su family originally wanted to ask you to marry Su Xuan. Could it be that she married Su Xuan? Did the second madam make a deal with the Su family?"
She added, "The deaths of your grandparents were actually related to the Su family; Ji Chen was merely a pawn in their game."
Zhang Yumo said, "Ruan Ruan means that the Su family killed my grandparents."
“Sister-in-law, I’ve thought a lot these past few days. If it really was the Su family behind this, then your second aunt’s death wasn’t suicide out of fear of punishment. There are two possibilities now. One is that she used suicide to protect her daughter and wanted to marry her daughter into the Su family. Anyway, her reputation was ruined and she was divorced by your second uncle. She was just throwing caution to the wind. But her daughter is different. She thinks that being able to marry into the Su family is a blessing.”
Secondly, she may have been murdered, but her confession on the spot that she killed the elderly Mr. and Mrs. Zhang overturned the second possibility.
I thought Ji Chen wouldn't be able to escape this time, but now it seems he might not die. Without evidence that he assassinated me, he can't be convicted, and he can't stay in jail indefinitely. This is the worst-case scenario I'm considering.
Zhang Yumo understood her meaning: she originally wanted Ji Chen dead, but he was able to survive because the Su family was helping him from behind. "The Su family wants to deal with you because they want to help Consort Su."
Jiang Fenghua nodded, "I took the position of Princess Heng. In the eyes of the Su family, I am blocking Su Tingwan's way. Only by getting rid of me can Su Tingwan take the position."
"Why? Why are they doing this? You are the prince's lawfully wedded wife." Zhang Yumo was weak, not stupid. Marrying into the royal family meant dealing with all sorts of intrigue and backstabbing. Just like last time, they tried to harm Jiang Fenghua. Luckily, her elder brother was there, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.
However, she believed that Jiang Fenghua would be able to handle it; she was so smart.
Jiang Fenghua said calmly, "It's not based on anything, it's just that the winner is king and the loser is a bandit. We share the glory and the loss. So now that you've married into the Jiang family, you're a member of the Jiang family. As for me, now that I'm in the position of Princess Heng, the road ahead will be full of thorns. I will protect every one of my relatives, including you. Actually, it's also because of me that I've dragged Elder Zhang down..."
Zhang Yumo was moved when she heard her say this. She said, "The death of my grandparents is not your fault. They were too treacherous. If it weren't for you, I would have been killed by them long ago. If anyone is to blame, it's my inability to protect them."
"Ruan Ruan, I want to avenge my grandparents." Of course, she was willing to stand with the Jiang family. She was now Jiang Jinyan's wife, and the Jiang family was her family.
When they arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture government office, they immediately noticed a group of suspicious people guarding the area as soon as they got off the carriage. Jiang Fenghua, seemingly unaware of this, walked inside with Zhang Yumo.
Upon seeing Ji Chen, one could see that he was covered in bruises and welts, indicating that he had been subjected to severe torture.
Ji Chen suddenly stared at Jiang Fenghua, "Princess Heng, you've finally arrived." His eyes still seemed to be provoking her.
Then, a dark glint flashed in his eyes, and he began to protest his innocence again: "Why are you framing me? I don't know any assassins at all. I was just going to check on the fire at the Zhang family's house."
I have done you no wrong, yet you have crippled my hand. Why did you do this to me?
I am a scholar with official rank; you have no right to imprison me. You have crippled my hand; how am I supposed to pass the imperial examinations now? I will write a petition to appeal to the emperor…
"I am innocent... You want to force a confession out of me, you're trying to cover up the truth, in broad daylight, under the emperor's nose, do you have no law left..." Ji Chen cried and screamed like a shrew.
He thought: That night he was certain that the people's attention was focused on the fire at the Zhang family's house, and it was also a fact that Lin Yu had severed his tendons. So many people had witnessed it, and the incident had caused quite a stir. People were saying that he was trying to assassinate the Princess Consort of Heng, but she got off the carriage perfectly fine. Where did this come from?
Jiang Fenghua is a smart person. She won't let herself be smeared for no reason just to deal with Ji Chen, so she wants to strike first.
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