"As for my sister, of course," Ji Meiyuan said with a smile, "she did something unchaste and should be punished according to the clan rules!"
"You...you bitch!" Ji Wushang roared, his eyes practically spitting fire as he listened to Ji Meiyuan's words.
"This matter is yours to handle. I will go see the Empress and the Second Prince tonight." Nan Jinxue didn't even raise her eyes, ignoring Ji Wushang's roar, and walked straight towards the door.
"No! No! Miss! Miss!" Zhu'er screamed, throwing herself to the ground and desperately clutching Nan Jinxue's boots, trying to stop him from leaving. "Master, Master, Miss is carrying your child, carrying your child!"
Nan Jinxue was taken aback. Had she figured it out?
"You lowly servant!" Ji Meiyuan kicked Zhu'er in the chest, and Zhu'er spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Do you think you can find an excuse to beg for mercy for your mistress? Wishful thinking! Are you going to ruin your husband and the entire Marquis's mansion for a lowly concubine?!" With that, he kicked Zhu'er in the head again. Instantly, Zhu'er's brains nearly spilled out, blood staining Ji Meiyuan's boots. Ji Meiyuan screamed viciously, "Drag her out and beat her to death!"
When Nan Jinxue first heard Zhu'er's words, she was indeed surprised. However, upon hearing Ji Meiyuan's words, she immediately realized she was right. She was just a concubine; once he became a marquis, he could have more than one, even a dozen or twenty! Why show mercy to this vile woman who killed the crown prince?
"Ah! No! Please! Please!" Ji Wushang watched as Zhu'er, whose head had exploded, was dragged out and beaten to death, and suddenly went mad. "Ji Meiyuan! Ji Meiyuan! You can come at me, please, please spare Zhu'er!" Why, why won't even a maid be spared!
Ji Meiyuan turned and watched Nan Jinxue walk away, then immediately stepped forward and slapped Ji Wushang across the face, making her face even more swollen. "Aren't you stupid enough? Do you think Zhu'er will forgive you? Do you think she will?" After saying that, she slapped her again!
Ji Wushang was almost unable to move and could only endure her evil deeds.
Ji Meiyuan seemed to be in a good mood. She looked around and, seeing the messy gold hairpin on the ground, grabbed it.
"Hmph! How could you possibly be worthy of your husband's gold hairpin?" Ji Meiyuan waved the gold hairpin in front of Ji Wushang. "Back in the Ji family, didn't you really like your face? Huh? Do you still like it now?" Before she could finish speaking, she ruthlessly slashed Ji Wushang's face!
"Ah!" A deep bloodstain immediately appeared on Ji Wushang's face! Half of her face was now covered in blood, which ran down her cheek and soaked her collar, staining it like crimson roses. Ji Wushang's chest heaved rapidly, and the pain in her face was so intense that she felt like she was about to die. She couldn't resist at all because Ji Meiyuan had already ordered several burly servants to tightly restrain her limbs.
The servants watching from the side were a little frightened, but now Ji Meiyuan was their heaven. If heaven wouldn't let them release Ji Wushang, then they couldn't let him go!
"Ji Meiyuan, you will die a horrible death! You will die a horrible death!" Ji Wushang roared hoarsely.
Ji Meiyuan sneered, "Hmph, we'll see who dies first! Guards! Beat this lowly concubine to a pulp!" Ji Meiyuan leaned close to Ji Wushang's ear and whispered, "Aren't you pregnant with my husband's child? I'll let you see with your own eyes how your child dies! And, dies inside your own womb!"
"Ah! No!" Ji Wushang was shocked. How could she do this?! "Ji Meiyuan! Ji Meiyuan! We are born of the same father! Why would you want to kill me!"
"Hahaha! Same father? You're making a ridiculous claim! In my opinion, the child in your womb is probably some bastard from some wild man! To preserve the noble bloodline of my Marquis's mansion, I, as the legal wife, must clean house to uphold the clan rules." Ji Meiyuan spoke loudly about the wild man, the bastard, and the legal wife, as if afraid people wouldn't know she was the legal wife and Ji Wushang was the lowly concubine!
"You insulted me! You're the slut! You're the slut!" Ji Wushang cursed, pointing his finger at Ji Meiyuan, his eyes bulging with rage.
"Aren't you going to beat her hard? Remember, I want her to watch her own child miscarry!" Ji Meiyuan's face twitched slightly. She composed herself before saying fiercely, "Don't kill her!"
Immediately, several servants grabbed thick, black sticks and sandwiched Ji Wushang between them. Her limbs were pinned down by the sticks and she couldn't move. The sticks were then struck at Ji Wushang's waist.
"Ah...ah..." With each strike, Ji Wushang clearly felt the life within her being drained... the lifeblood of that little one was flowing from her lower body... staining the ground! In the distance lay the cold corpse of the Crown Prince; here, the blood of apes stained the ground...
The servants hesitated to strike, reducing their strength slightly, but Ji Meiyuan immediately said sternly, "Watch your jobs! Be ruthless and precise!"
The stick came down again immediately... Ji Wushang felt numb and fainted.
Ji Meiyuan glanced at her, her beautiful eyes turning cold. "Get me some cold saline solution! I need her to be fully conscious!"
A bucket of cold salt water woke Ji Wushang up completely, and the salt water made him feel a burning pain all over his body!
Hate, an unprecedented level of hatred!
Ji Wushang looked at the blood flowing like a stream beneath her. "Baby, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..." The next second, she raised her head, filled with rage. "Ji Meiyuan, why don't you just die! Why!"
"Heh!" Ji Meiyuan turned around, walked gently to the table, picked up the candlestick, and then squatted down in front of Ji Wushang. Ji Wushang was barely alive; if it weren't for her strong will, she would probably have died long ago.
Ji Meiyuan said, "Death? Yes! Only when you die will my happiness last forever! As long as you live, I will never have peace! You are the high and mighty legitimate daughter! I am nothing! So, why can't you die?" With that, she used her left hand to lift Ji Wushang's face up, making her face her. "Your eyes are so beautiful, do you know that? I should have married my husband, not you! But because of your pure eyes, I have waited for four long years! Four years! Tell me, can a woman's youth withstand such a wait?"
Ji Wushang looked at her ferocious smile, closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and said coldly, "I have no other wish than to die quickly! I will haunt you even as a ghost!"
☆、003 Unleashed a poisonous curse, turning the innocent into the tragic!
"Do you think you'll die so easily?" Ji Meiyuan grabbed Ji Wushang's chin, almost crushing his jawbone, and the candlestick in her right hand slowly tilted.
Ji Wushang opened her eyes because of the pain and saw Ji Meiyuan's tilted candlestick. The hot wax on the candlestick was rolling and burning, tilting towards her eyes!
"Ah...ah..." With several shrill screams, Ji Wushang lost her beautiful eyes forever. Her eyes were covered with scalding hot wax. Ji Wushang's fingers dug deep into her flesh, and all ten of her toes curled up as excruciating pain shot through her nerves.
Heartbroken, Ji Wushang went berserk, but her limbs were already powerless. Her hoarse voice couldn't utter a cry for help. She knew all too well that this so-called half-sister before her had always hated her to the core! What was the point of begging for mercy! How laughable!
"Since you're about to die, I'll at least let you die knowing why." Ji Meiyuan leaned close to Ji Wushang's ear. "Your own brother, my sister and I pushed him off the artificial hill. With a hill this high, how could he not die? Hahaha! Hahaha!" Ji Meiyuan laughed wildly. "And your beloved mother! Do you know how she died? She should have taken her medicine properly, and her heart palpitations would have gotten better. But I just switched her medicine, and that's all it took for her to go to the underworld. Oh, how boring." Ji Meiyuan made a mischievous face.
Ji Wushang followed her voice, listening to her words, and blamed himself for being too stupid and not knowing how to protect those around him! Only then did this bitch hurt him time and time again! Taking everything away from him! Heavens! What kind of heavens are these! All he wanted was simple happiness! Why!
"You vile woman, you killed my Wu Zi! You killed my mother! Ahhh! You will die a horrible death! You will be punished! You will..." Before Ji Wushang could finish speaking, Ji Meiyuan had already slapped him several times across the face!
"Retribution? Haha! This is retribution! Look, this is the retribution you've received! What is retribution? Huh? Tell me!" Ji Meiyuan's face was contorted with rage, her eyes bulging. "Since childhood, what have I been inferior to you in? Why should I always be inferior to you? My mother has been telling me every day that your family is a thorn in our side! How can we not get rid of you! Come on! Drag him into the coffin!"
Several burly servants grabbed Ji Wushang by his legs and dragged him out the door, leaving a trail of blood wherever they went. After giving orders to dispose of the prince's body, Ji Meiyuan naturally followed closely behind.
The lame man, who had rushed over from elsewhere, was about to stop them when he was already being carried away by Ji Meiyuan's servants...
Ji Wushang reached out with both hands, but couldn't grab anything. When he finally caught something, he was shocked.
That was Zhu'er's already cooled corpse. Ji Wushang couldn't see anything, but he grabbed her hand. On Zhu'er's hand, she was still wearing the green snake jade bracelet that he had personally given her.
Back then, Zhu'er had no jewelry. Ji Wushang saw her staring at his green snake jade bracelet and thought that only Zhu'er truly cared for him, so he gave it to her and even helped her put it on herself. But now, she is wearing this jade bracelet and has disappeared forever.
Tears wouldn't stop, but because her eyes were sealed with wax, the tears could only flow down from between her eye sockets, mixing with the blood on her face. Like a ghost, the sight terrified those around her, but Ji Meiyuan watched with rapt attention, experiencing a vengeful thrill she had never felt before!
"Zhu'er!" Ji Wushang cried out to the heavens. He had lost everyone in the world who cherished him; what was left to hold onto?
At this moment, Ji Meiyuan saw four servants carrying a black coffin from behind. Instantly, her eyes lit up. "Come on! Throw these two people into the coffin!"
The people around could only numbly do their work. In this Marquis's mansion, whoever was in charge was the one to listen to!
Ji Wushang touched Zhu'er's icy hands, rubbing them, tears streaming down his face.
"You've been through so much trouble before you finally died, that's too easy for you!" Ji Meiyuan had completely forgotten all the harm she had done to Ji Wushang! Now, Ji Wushang was covered in wounds, his eyes were gone, and his flesh and bones had turned into bloody water! Wasn't this pain enough?
"Do you know how I knew you were pregnant? Haha, it was Zhu'er who accidentally let it slip. I had no choice but to give her some stale porridge that had been sitting out for three days, and she gratefully told me about you, haha!" Ji Meiyuan laughed loudly. Ji Wushang clenched her fists tightly. She hated that she couldn't provide Zhu'er with enough to eat and wear, to the point that she could even drink three days' worth of stale porridge!
“By the way, do you know why you became a concubine? Haha,” Ji Meiyuan leaned close to the coffin and said loudly, “It was because I told my husband that you were very improper in the Ji family and shouldn’t be a wife! It would be better to be a concubine! Also, I told the Crown Prince that you were beautiful, pretty, and had big breasts! You were good in bed! And you were even more stupid! You were shameless!” Ji Meiyuan’s voice grew louder and louder.
Ji Wushang, following the sound, stared intently at Ji Meiyuan. Looking at her, he suddenly drew strength from somewhere and reached out from the coffin, grabbing Ji Meiyuan's neck and pulling her head towards him. His silver teeth slashed down towards Ji Meiyuan's ear! Die! Die together! Go to hell together!
"Ah!" Ji Meiyuan screamed like a pig being slaughtered. The maids Zhuguang and Baoqi, who were standing to the side, were terrified and quickly stepped forward to pull Ji Meiyuan away.
Ji Wushang spat out a mouthful of blood. Although his eyes were sealed with wax, he looked even more ferocious and terrifying!
"Quick! Quick! Close the coffin immediately! Ouch!" Ji Meiyuan covered her ears, and Ji Wushang almost bit off her ears.
Unwilling, unwilling! Ji Wushang was still thinking of climbing out of the coffin when Ji Meiyuan saw this, snatched the hammer and nails from the servant next to him, and smashed them into Ji Wushang's head with great force!
Instantly, Ji Wushang collapsed, panting, with only his two hands still flailing wildly.
Ji Meiyuan went berserk, still in the lingering fear and panic, snatched a nail from the servant A Si and drove it into Ji Wushang's skull!
I hit five or six sticks before I stopped!
Ji Wushang's head was covered in blood... his whole body looked as if he had been doused in blood, and the nails were still faintly visible on the top of his head...
Those around watched this horrific scene in silence, their hearts pounding with fear! Only after Ji Meiyuan finished did she feel a huge weight lifted from her shoulders, a sense of relief washing over her. She threw the hammer and nails at Ah Si, and snapped, "What are you looking at! That's how it should be done! Hurry up and get to work! Use your dog eyes!"
Ji Wushang felt his soul drifting away, filled with resentment, utter resentment! Why had his life been such a tragic failure! His father was away guarding the frontier year-round; his mother, the first wife, though suffering from heart palpitations, should have enjoyed her twilight years, yet she was poisoned to death by his half-sister; his younger brother should have had a carefree childhood, and later achieved fame and glory for the family, but he was pushed off a rockery by his half-sisters and died! And then there was that heartless man who betrayed him for profit! He was disfigured! His unborn child turned to blood! His eyes were gouged out! Zhu'er died tragically! Bone nails were driven into his brain! ...Knowing all this, how could he let these people live so freely! How could he!
The snow fell even harder around them. After Ji Meiyuan left with satisfaction, the servants around dared not approach the coffin any further and could only leave Ji Wushang's coffin lying in the snow.
The limping man practically crawled over, his large, bony hands reaching for Ji Wushang's coffin. Tears streamed down his face, and his voice was hoarse and trembling, "Miss Wushang... Miss Wushang..."
"If there is an afterlife, even if I defy the heavens and do good or evil, I will repay a thousandfold for what I suffer today!" As Ji Wushang's soul left his body, his voice, like a ghost, uttered a poisonous curse! This startled the man who was touching the coffin…
☆、004 Reborn after seven years, a phoenix rising from the ashes!
Ji Wushang felt as if he had been run over by a car, his whole body feeling extremely tired and weary. However, he clearly heard someone calling his name.
"Wu Shang, Wu Shang... Wake up! Wake up!"
That voice was full of affection, warm and comforting. Wasn't that his mother's voice? Ji Wushang recalled the past. His mother, Bei Luo'er, was the first wife of General Ji's mansion. At that time, the family was not very large. His father, Ji Dingbei, was stationed on the frontier year-round, but his mother still managed some of the affairs of the Ji family. His younger brother, Ji Wusi, was mischievous, but also cute and clever.
Hearing these warm calls, Ji Wushang could no longer hold back his tears, which flowed down his face.
Is this a dream? Why do these cries sound so real?
"Big sister, big sister, mother, why hasn't big sister woken up for so long? Does Wu Zi need to wake her up?" A childish voice woke Ji Wushang up completely! It was the voice of her own younger brother, Ji Wusi! Big sister, big sister... how long had it been since she heard that voice! Back then, Ji Wusi was only five years old when he fell off the artificial hill!
Ji Wushang couldn't help but cough a few times before finally managing to open his eyes and slowly look around. What came into view were the expectant eyes of the people around him.
Seeing her daughter finally wake up, Madam Bei smiled and hugged Ji Wushang tightly, saying, "It's good that you're awake, it's good that you're awake!"
Ji Wusi had already picked up one of Ji Wushang's arms and gently blew on it, saying, "I knew it! If I blew on it, my sister would definitely wake up." His little face was full of joy.
Ji Wushang cherished this moment so much. He didn't ask for much in this life, just these few people! Even if taking another step forward meant going through hell, he would still hold on to this happiness with all his might!
"I... Waaah... I'm alright, I'm alright... Mother, Mother... Wu Zi, Wu Zi..." Ji Wushang cried out in pain, nestled in Madam Bei's arms, and then pulled Ji Wusi into his embrace.
The usually mischievous Ji Wusi was now behaving obediently, letting Ji Wushang hold her despite her immaturity. Madam Bei shook her head, assuming Ji Wushang was seeking comfort because of her sadness. But thinking of her daughter being rejected by the second young master of the Marquis's mansion, she herself felt sad, and tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face.
"Mother, what's wrong with you?" Ji Wushang felt a chill down his back and realized that Madam Bei was crying. He panicked immediately. His biggest worry was that the two people in front of him would disappear, even though he felt as if he was not in a dream.
"No, my good daughter, don't worry, your mother will help you find a good family, and then marry you off in a grand and glorious way," Madam Bei said softly, stopping her sobs. Madam Bei still retained her charm, and her face showed no signs of sagging or aging. She had applied some foundation, which effectively concealed the haggardness from not sleeping for many days.
Ji Wushang, however, remained lost in thought about Madam Bei's words.
Wait, marry him? I'm not married yet? What's this? Ji Wushang froze, looking around again. This was her boudoir, where she had lived for a long time before her marriage in the Apricot Garden. But wasn't she supposed to marry that scumbag Nan Jinxue? Why am I here now?
"Don't worry, our General Ji's mansion is highly regarded by the Emperor, so don't fret about your marriage." Madam Bei added, seemingly thinking that Ji Wushang hadn't quite grasped the situation.
A matter of lifelong importance… Ji Wushang finally remembered that when she was fourteen, a year before her coming-of-age ceremony and marriage to Nan Jinxue, she had waited for him in the rain for hours because of her long-standing unrequited love for the second young master of the Marquis's mansion! This caused her to develop a high fever! Later, after her coming-of-age ceremony, due to court interests, an imperial decree was issued, and Nan Jinxue finally married her! It was only then that Nan Jinxue slowly accepted her, but later, he was forced to become a wolf in sheep's clothing!
He was reborn seven years in the past! Ji Wushang was a little excited. He never expected that the heavens would be so kind to him!
Ji Wushang struggled to her feet and grabbed Madam Bei's hand. "Mother, I will not marry Nan Jinxue." Ji Wushang's face had never been so resolute before. Her eyes were bright and radiant, and she looked even more spirited.
"What?" Madam Bei, who was momentarily stunned, became even more worried, thinking that Ji Wushang's high fever had clouded his mind, otherwise how could he say such a thing? She had been in love with Nan Jinxue for many years! How could he say such a thing?
Ji Wushang nodded solemnly. Now it was a second chance, a second chance at life! How could he let fate repeat itself! That man, Nan Jinxue, wouldn't even take him if he offered himself to him! And Ji Meiyuan! He had said he would repay everything he suffered that day! Even if they did evil or good, he would never let them get away with it!
"I'm still young, and I want to stay by Mother's side to accompany her and be filial to her with Wu Zi. I also ask Mother to tell Father not to ask the Emperor to issue an edict for me to marry Nan Jinxue. It's better for me to stay by Mother's side." Ji Wushang composed himself and smiled at Madam Bei, his two tiger teeth were really cute.
Now that I've been reborn, I should live a different life! How could I possibly marry that heartless man again! Hmph! I will get back a thousandfold for everything I did in my past life! Anyone who makes me unhappy, I, Ji Wushang, will send them to hell! Anyone who harms my mother and Wu Zi, I will send them to meet the King of Hell!
Madam Bei looked at Ji Wushang suspiciously for a long time, and only after confirming that she hadn't misheard did she nod. "That's good. You can rest in the manor for the next few days. Your mother will talk to your father tonight. I will also go to the temple to offer incense tomorrow and pray for the safety of my children!" As she spoke, she patted Ji Wusi, who was sleeping in her arms, affectionately.
Ji Wushang nodded, but his hands still gripped Madam Bei tightly, as if afraid she would disappear. Only then did he see how haggard Madam Bei looked, and Ji Wushang felt a pang of sadness in his heart, which strengthened his resolve to protect his mother and younger brother.