Chapter 52 Premeditated Murder of the Future Mistress
The pleasure boat had gone quite a distance before Liu Minghan poured the wine in his hand into the water.
He slowly walked up to the third floor, where several dancers were performing.
Several people at the table were clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.
Song Yitang raised his wine cup. "Young Master Zhou, I admire you."
"When the young master takes office as the Shadow Guard, I will hold a celebration banquet for him!"
Those nearby jeered, "A single celebration banquet isn't enough! It'll need at least ten or eight beauties!"
Liu Minghan sat down. "Lord Zhao must be drunk. Prince Zhou is Lord Song's brother-in-law, and his wedding is just around the corner."
"Don't tell me you didn't receive any wedding invitations?"
The man was completely drunk and only just got up now.
He slapped himself twice on the face. "My foul mouth! I, Zhao Yuan, wish Prince Zhou and Miss Song a long and happy marriage!"
"I misspoke, so I'll punish myself with three drinks!"
Song Yitang's expression remained unchanged, as if he didn't care at all about others teasing his sister.
Just when Zhao Yuan thought the matter was about to be over, two people suddenly rushed in and dragged him out!
In no time at all.
A loud "thump" was heard.
He was thrown into the water.
He's so drunk, if no one jumps in to save him, he probably won't survive.
Zhao Yuan was completely sober by now!
He struggled incessantly in the water.
"Lord Song! I know I was wrong! I know I was wrong!"
The servant on the deck didn't move an inch.
Only when Zhao Yuan felt he was doomed and had given up all hope did he receive those three light, dismissive words.
"Pull it up."
It was only after two servants on the boat that the man was pulled up.
Zhao Yuan, panting heavily, didn't dare to linger for a moment and rushed straight up to the third floor.
"Lord Song, I dare not do it again! I dare not do it again!"
He knelt at Song Yitang's feet, soaking wet.
Song Yitang then slowly spoke, "Why are you being so reckless? You've frightened Lord Zhao."
Zhao Yuan kowtowed so hard that his head thudded on the floorboards. "It was this humble official who didn't know what was good for him. He drank two ounces of cat urine and lost all sense of direction!"
Just then, a woman working as a flower seller downstairs exclaimed, "It looks like a boat is on fire over there!"
...
Jiang Shiyao grabbed Song Jiyun's hair, pressing the hairpin against her neck.
He shouted menacingly at Xu's mother, "Have someone row your boat over here!"
Mrs. Xu remained calm, showing no fear whatsoever. "Alright, just don't hurt Miss."
Only after the man in black jumped into the water did Zhou Wanqing finally burst into tears.
"You're all crazy. You're just fighting over my elder brother. Is it really necessary to kill each other like this?"
"Who doesn't have a bunch of wives and concubines!"
The boat was doused with oil on one side, and now only one side is on fire.
The group tried to stay close to the side that wasn't on fire.
Jiang Shiyao wished she could kill her immediately!
But now, not only is Fu'er by her side, but the baby in her belly is also there.
She can't fight her to the death right now.
Song Jiyun has gone mad, but Madam Xu is still lucid. For now, the only option is to threaten her into sending the boat over.
"Jiang Shiyao, on this vast lake, let's see who can save you this time."
Song Jiyun's eyes were full of laughter, as if he was not afraid at all of being pierced through the throat by Jiang Shiyao with a hairpin.
"That man sailed away!"
The ship, which wasn't too far away at first, is now getting farther and farther away.
Zhou Wanqing was both anxious and angry, and now she was filled with despair.
If she had known this would happen, she would have listened to Madam Jiang and come to the lake instead!
Jiang Shiyao suddenly turned around, and the boat had already rowed straight towards the shore!
"If you want to die, I'll grant your wish!"
Her hatred surged, and she gritted her teeth and raised her hand. Just as Song Jiyun saw the hairpin about to fall, she suddenly turned around, and the hairpin pierced her back hard!
"Miss!"
As Xu's mother prepared to rush forward, Jiang Shiyao had already raised her hand for the second hairpin.
"We either live together, or we die together!"
Jiang Shiyao has worked so hard for so long, just to survive.
Finally, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
How could she allow this light to be destroyed again by her old enemy!
"A ship is coming! A ship is coming!"
Zhou Wanqing gazed into the distance, bursting into tears of joy!
That's the same flower boat that just sailed away!
Jiang Shiyao shoved Song Jiyun to the ground and sneered, "Song Jiyun, my life isn't meant to end here!"
Song Jiyun was in so much pain that he curled up into a ball.
She burst into laughter.
"Miss!" Madam Xu quickly hugged Song Jiyun into her arms.
Zhou Wanqing supported Jiang Shiyao, whose hands and feet were trembling slightly, "The boat is here! We can be saved!"
"Lord Liu is on the ship; he will surely give us a fair judgment!"
Jiang Shiyao's jaw was clenched tightly, and she didn't speak.
Zhou Congxian was also on the ship.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Song Jiyun will remain unharmed.
How could someone ruin their wedding, which was less than a month old?
Zhou Wanqing had seen a glimmer of hope for survival, and her voice became much stronger.
"This is premeditated murder!"
"Someone with such improper conduct wants to enter the Duke of England's mansion? Dream on!"
"I'm going to tell my older brother! And I'm going to tell my father too!"
Song Jiyun had caught her breath by now. Her face was pale, but her smile was even wider.
She spoke slowly, word by word, "To prevent the Crown Prince's wedding, Lady Jiang of the Duke of Ying's mansion plotted to murder the future mistress."
"What?" Zhou Wanqing looked at her twisting the facts and understood what she was trying to do almost instantly.
"You're a madman!"
As Jiang Shiyao watched the flower boat getting closer and closer, Zhou Wanqing understood, so how could she not understand?
Song Jiyun had done so many things but failed, so this time, she personally transformed herself into a "victim".
The concubine plotted to harm the future mistress.
She dared to do this because she had already prepared all the witnesses and physical evidence.
Even with Zhou Wanqing and Shuangjiang, it would probably be of no use.
The flower boats approached.
"There are still people! There are still people!"
Several hooks were swung over and snagged on the gunwale.
"The fire is too big, they can't get through!"
"Put down the board! Put down the board!"
The group scrambled onto the pleasure boat from the plank in a disheveled state.
Fu'er clutched Shuangjiang's clothes, sobbing, not daring to cry out loud.
Instead, Zhou Wanqing burst into tears as if she had escaped death.
"Young Master, you must avenge Miss! Someone is trying to harm her!"
Holding the unconscious Song Jiyun, Xu's mother wailed loudly towards the third floor.
"You're the ones who plotted against us!" Zhou Wanqing jumped up in anger. "Lord Liu! Lord Liu! I'm reporting this to the police!"
Several faces peered out of the windows on the third floor.
The expressions on their faces all changed!
"Yun'er!"
Song Yitang quickly got off, followed closely by the others.
As soon as Xu's mother saw Song Yitang, she immediately poured out a basin of dirty water on Jiang Shiyao.
"Miss was invited by Miss Wednesday to go boating to relax today, but after waiting for a long time without seeing her, she went boating by herself. Unexpectedly, Miss Wednesday was already waiting on the lake! Miss believed them and got on their treacherous boat!"
"Young Master, you must stand up for Miss!"
"That's not how it is!" Zhou Wanqing exclaimed anxiously.
"It was clearly you who had oil poured on and fire started! Lady Jiang only stabbed you in desperation because she threatened you to bring your boat over!"
Xu's mother stood up, raised her hand, and slapped Zhou Wanqing hard across the face.
"My young lady is getting married next month, and she will be the lawfully wedded wife of the Duke of Ying! Why would she put herself in such a dangerous situation to frame a concubine, a daughter born out of wedlock!"
"You've all conspired together! One of you wanted to stop the prince's wedding, and the other was infatuated with my young master! That's why you tricked my young lady into coming here!"
Zhou Wanqing was stunned by the slap. "I didn't do it for your young master! Madam Jiang isn't that kind of person!"
Madam Xu pressed on, "My young lady should be at home preparing for her wedding. Why did she have to come to Jinming Lake? Isn't she busy enough?!"
She then took out the invitation from her bosom. "Whether it's from Miss Zhou or not, we can find out with a simple question! Whether it was delivered by a servant of the Zhou family, we can find out with a simple question!"
Jiang Shiyao sneered, "What a flawless performance!"
Song Yitang turned his gaze to Zhou Congxian.
"Young Master Zhou, one is your sister, and the other is your concubine. If you don't give me an explanation, this marriage is off!"
Zhou Wanqing was so anxious that tears streamed down her face. "Big brother, it's not like that! I did it for...for..."
She came for Lord Liu.
Now, however, he is falling deeper and deeper into someone else's trap.
To clear one's name, admitting to spying on other men is just another form of filth.
Zhou Congxian's eyes darkened slightly; he hadn't expected Song Jiyun to be so reckless this time!
"Wanqing, do you remember what time you came out?"
“I remember.” Zhou Wanqing nodded.
Zhao Yuan, sensing something amiss, immediately said, "Young Master Zhou, are you still using the old tricks of the Imperial Household Department at this time? Are you trying to offend your family?"
At this moment, Liu Minghan also took off the purse from his waist. "Miss Zhou gave me a purse just the day before yesterday. Now you want to kill Miss Song for Lord Song's sake?"
"Liu felt that the case was contradictory in many ways."
Zhou Wanqing glanced at Liu Minghan before biting her lower lip and continuing.
"It was Miss Li who told me that Lord Liu was boating on the lake today, so I brought Madam Jiang along."
"This post is mine, but I haven't seen Ms. Song for a month. I've posted several times but haven't received a response."
"I don't know what grudge Miss Song has that would make her do this, but she's the one who did it all!"
Mrs. Xu said angrily, "Miss Zhou is just spouting nonsense to frame my young lady!"
Jiang Shiyao clenched her fists and let out several cold laughs.
"I never knew she had such great abilities, bewitching the young master, deceiving the third young lady, luring and killing Miss Song, and finally escaping death, all just to continue being a lowly concubine."
She paused, glanced at the people present, and then let out a strange laugh.
"There are so many powerful families in the capital, and there are countless fights and killings. With my exceptional abilities, why not marry me?"
Finally, her gaze met that of Xu's mother.
"You say I deliberately murdered the future matriarch, then tell me why you would do it."
"So that the prince can marry another woman, and I can kill her again?"
"If the prince marries me, I will kill him without end. So this is how a serial killer is made. Perhaps we can investigate those old cases in the Dali Temple in this direction. Who knows, we might find something unexpected."
Jiang Shiyao's tone was full of sarcasm, "In all my years, I've only ever heard of a mistress not tolerating her concubines, never of a concubine not tolerating her mistress."
She chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Does a concubine really need to have such great abilities?"
"I disdain fighting to the death in this house; I'd rather fight for myself!"
Song Yitang's gaze suddenly turned cold. No wonder Yun'er had failed to win him over several times. Even he wouldn't feel at ease keeping a woman like this around.
"The concubine of the Prince of Zhou is quite the sharp-tongued and witty woman."
“Yun’er is currently unconscious; she is the one who is suffering.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. "I await an explanation from Prince Zhou."
"Otherwise, don't blame me for reporting this to the Emperor!"
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