arson
The morning sun was shining brightly. Jiang Yi sat in the courtyard basking in the sun, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, crossed her legs, and watched several craftsmen working not far away while cracking sunflower seeds.
In no time, a low wall had been repaired, neat and tidy, done cleanly and efficiently.
Jiang Yi's eyes were cold and indifferent, completely unconcerned.
Xia Zhi, standing to the side, frowned, her face filled with worry. She opened her mouth several times, but finally couldn't help but whisper, "Miss, were we discovered sneaking out last night? What should we do now..."
"Don't worry, if we get caught, it won't be as simple as just building a wall. Right now, we're probably building the wall just to prevent us from sneaking out again."
She then shook her head slightly and chuckled, "Heh, that kid He Lin really wants to push me! Then don't blame me for being impolite."
Xia Zhi was stunned: "Huh? Young Master Lin? Why, why did he do this?"
"To prevent us from sneaking out!" Jiang Yi said matter-of-factly.
Xia Zhi knew, of course, that the wall was being repaired for this reason, but what she didn't understand was why He Lin would do this. He and Miss had dinner together last night and seemed quite harmonious. Did they quarrel after she left? If that were the case, wouldn't she and Miss be trapped here for the rest of their lives, never able to leave again?
After the craftsman left, Jiang Yi strolled leisurely to the wall, looked up, and exclaimed, "Wow, it's actually quite high! Even if I could climb up, I wouldn't dare jump down. What if I broke my leg? That would be a huge loss!"
"Hmph, it's a waste of time to repair it. Who would still want to live in this dump in a couple of days?"
"Ah? Miss, you mean..."
"Don't worry, I've already figured out a way to get out, but I need your cooperation."
Xia Zhi nodded honestly: "Yes, Miss, I will definitely do as you say."
Jiang Yi smiled broadly and walked straight towards the room.
"Go back to your room and sleep. You need to recharge so you'll have the energy to act."
...
A gentle night breeze blows, and the starry sky is bright.
Jiang Yi and Xia Zhi glanced at the courtyard gate, which was quiet. Then they turned to look at each other at the same time. Both of them were covered in dirt and their dresses were filthy.
Xia Zhi's voice trembled slightly as she spoke, whether from the autumn night wind or something else: "Miss, do we really have to do this? I... I'm a little scared."
Jiang Yi took out a tinderbox and gave her a reassuring look.
"Don't be afraid. Even if something happens, I will take full responsibility and will never be a burden to you."
Xia Zhi said anxiously, "What are you saying, Miss? How could Xia Zhi let Miss bear this alone? No matter what, I will always stay by Miss's side."
Jiang Yi smiled and patted her chest, "From the moment I chose acting as my major, I was aiming for Best Actress. I have a lot of confidence in my acting skills, so don't worry."
Xia Zhi couldn't understand what she was saying and was full of questions, but she still didn't ask any more questions. No matter what Jiang Yi said, she firmly believed her.
The ancient tinderbox is quite interesting. I wonder what the secret is. You can take off the cap and blow on it to light it. It's even more convenient than a lighter. Who wouldn't marvel at the wisdom of our ancestors?
There was no time to study this now. Jiang Yi took a tinderbox and went straight into the room, splashing all the osmanthus oil she used for combing her hair onto the dressing table. Xia Zhi also came over to help, throwing away any easily flammable gauze or similar items.
After making the preparations, Jiang Yi lit a tinderbox, her heart pounding. Although she appeared fearless on the surface, this was the first time she had ever set fire to a house, and she was unsure of herself.
Never mind, I can't stay locked up any longer. I have to get out tonight no matter what! I didn't come to this world just to be imprisoned!
"Whoosh...whoosh..."
After throwing the tinder onto the dressing table, Jiang Yi grabbed Xia Zhi's arm and quickly ran out.
The fire started quickly, and soon thick black smoke was billowing out of the house.
"It's terrible, there's a fire..." Jiang Yi shouted halfway through, but then suddenly remembered that in ancient times, "fire" was called "fire coming down," so she changed the word and continued shouting: "Fire! Help! Someone come quick!"
"..."
The servant who had been guarding the courtyard gate was also startled when he heard the commotion inside. He turned around and saw the billowing black smoke rising into the sky. The two looked at each other, their minds blank, as if they didn't know what had happened. How could it suddenly catch fire?
After regaining their senses, one of them took off running towards the front yard, shouting for help to put out the fire as he ran, while the other hurriedly pulled out his key, unlocked the gate, and ran over.
"Young Madam, are you alright?"
Jiang Yi's face and clothes were covered in soot. Hearing someone approaching, she coughed loudly a few times, "Cough... I'm fine, quick, quick, put out the fire! Cough cough..."
The two hands clinging to Jiang Yi's arm trembled uncontrollably. Jiang Yi patted Xia Zhi's hand reassuringly and whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid. Whether we can get out or not depends entirely on you."
Xia Zhi's teeth chattered, and she couldn't speak, but she nodded vigorously.
"What did you say?"
After hearing Gu Ziyu's words, He Lin asked again in disbelief.
"The courtyard where Miss Jiang lives caught fire, but it should be extinguished by now."
"What do you mean by 'should'?" He Lin frowned and asked again, "How could it suddenly catch fire out of nowhere?"
Gu Ziyu cleared his throat, his voice choked, and said cautiously, "The guards came to report that Miss Jiang herself..."
With just those few words, He Lin could guess what was coming next. His right hand, which was on the table, unconsciously tightened its grip on the edge of the book, and his fingertips turned slightly white.
That stupid woman! I thought she had some brilliant idea that she could come up with on her own, but I never expected her to disregard her own safety and dare to set the house on fire!
"Young Master!"
Without saying a word, He Lin got up and left. Gu Ziyu called after him and wanted to follow him directly, but after a few steps, she suddenly stopped and went back to her room to get a cloak before striding after him.
Because the fire was too big and there was a night wind, one person could not put it out by themselves. By the time everyone in the front yard had rushed to carry buckets to put out the fire, the whole house was almost completely burned down, the roof was gone, and only an empty shell remained.
Jiang Yi stared blankly at the dark ruins, as if she had been frightened into a daze. Apart from Xia Zhi supporting her, no one dared to approach her, for fear of getting into trouble.
"What happened?"
A dignified and deep voice rang out behind the group. The servants hurriedly made way for the newcomer, who was indeed He Wei, with Qi Shuangyun and Su Tong on his left and right respectively.
Upon seeing Jiang Yi's appearance, Su Tong disregarded all formalities and quickly stepped forward to check if she was injured.
"Yi'er, are you alright? Are you hurt? Let your mother see!"
Jiang Yi sniffled a few times, then couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears. She knelt down on the ground with a thud, hugged Su Tong's legs, and began to wail as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Everyone present was stunned into silence.
He Lin arrived just in time to witness this scene. His brows furrowed, and his eyes were deep and unfathomable, making it impossible to discern what he was thinking.
"Mother! Help! I'm going to die!"
Jiang Yi's acting was incredibly realistic, with tears and snot streaming down her face. To avoid getting it on Su Tong's clean clothes, she wiped it with her sleeve and continued to hug her legs and scream, "I'm so scared! Mom! Waaaaah..."
These words touched Su Tong deeply, and her eyes slowly reddened. She bent down to help her up, saying, "Yi'er, get up first. Let the doctor check if you're hurt. We can talk about it later."
Jiang Yi shook her head pitifully: "I won't get up. Someone wants to set me on fire and burn me to death. Mother, save me!"
Upon hearing this, He Lin's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. This woman was truly adept at lying...
Su Tong turned back to look at He Wei in horror. As the head of the family, he naturally had to investigate thoroughly how such a deadly incident could have occurred in the household.
With a deep gaze, He Wei asked in a low voice, "What exactly happened?"
Xia Zhi wiped away her tears, knelt between He Wei and Su Tong, kowtowed, and then closed her eyes and began to lie while crying: "General, Madam, what my young lady said is true! A couple of nights ago, there were occasional noises coming from the roof. I thought it was just a stray cat passing by, so I didn't pay any attention. Who knew it was a thief!"
After saying all that in one breath, Xia Zhi rolled her eyes and fainted.
Jiang Yi thought to herself, "Good Xia Zhi! She acted so convincingly. Now it's her turn to go on stage."
"Xia Zhi! What's wrong? Don't scare me!"
Jiang Yi immediately crawled over on all fours, sat on the ground and shook her a few times. Her face was still wet with tears, and she looked up at He Wei and Su Tong and said, "Father, Mother, Xia Zhi must have fainted from hunger! Will she be alright?"
He Wei was incredulous: "Fainted from hunger? How could such a thing happen in my dignified General's Mansion!"
"Dad, don't you believe me? Xia Zhi and I haven't eaten for days! That silly girl wouldn't eat the cold, hard steamed buns that were brought to us; she saved them all for me. If I had known this would happen, I...I..."
As she spoke, Jiang Yi burst into tears again, seemingly feeling especially guilty.
Gu Ziyu was stunned. Was this really happening? Miss Jiang had been coming to his young master's room for free meals and drinks for several nights in a row. What was she up to?
He Wei said coldly, "Qi Shuangyun, what exactly do you want to do? This is my General's Mansion, not a place for you to act recklessly. Besides, she was properly married into the family by Lin'er. Do you really want to cause a death?! You don't act like a mother-in-law at all!"
Upon hearing He Wei's words, Qi Shuangyun's expression changed instantly: "General, what do you mean? Are you saying that I sent people to set the fire?"
Seeing this, Jiang Yi seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, accusing her word by word: "Ah, Madam, I don't know where I have offended you. If you want my life, you could just say so. Why do you have to do this?"
Qi Shuangyun was furious. This was the first time anyone had dared to slander her like this. She shouted angrily, "How dare you! I am the eldest princess of the Great Liang Dynasty and the first wife of the General's Mansion. What reason do I have to harm a vixen like you?! If you dare to spout nonsense again, don't blame me for not tolerating you!"
Jiang Yi pretended to be frightened, shrank back, and lowered her head, choking back tears.
"Enough! No matter what, Miss Jiang was brought into the General's Mansion by Lin'er in a grand sedan chair. Since you can't stand her, you can lock her in the backyard, but why don't you send someone to bring her food? What are you up to?"
My goodness, He Lin's father is really something, unlike him, who just stands there like nothing's wrong, pretending to be dead. Jiang Yi rolled her eyes at him when no one was looking.
He Lin's attention was entirely on her, so he naturally saw it and was immediately speechless.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
