"I'll prepare the supplies, use your people." Princess Jingwu seemed afraid that Xie Jiayan would become suspicious, so she quickly said, "My people are being watched, so it's not easy to move them."
As for who was watching her, she could figure it out with her toes: Song Yansi really did suspect her!
A few meows came from the courtyard, and Jiang Yuan woke up instantly. This was the signal Zuo Shuang had given her. She turned her head to look at Song Yansi, who was breathing evenly beside her, and quietly got up and got out of bed. Her embroidered shoes stepped on the soft carpet without making a sound.
As soon as Jiang Yuan stepped out of the room, Song Yansi slowly opened his eyes. He stared blankly at the bed in front of him. This vassal state must be weakened!
Three years of civil war had brought untold suffering and death, with people resorting to cannibalism for food. This time, he could not give them so much time, nor could he plunge the people into misery again. He would take advantage of their vulnerability and uproot them in one fell swoop.
The clapper sounded several times at midnight, and someone appeared in the dark in front of the gate of the Marquis of Anguo's mansion. He carefully observed the surroundings and only began to work after confirming that no one was around. The transparent liquid was sprinkled on the ground, and the vermilion gate was painted according to the mark given to him by the person.
"Madam," Fengdu whispered.
Everyone believes in celestial phenomena, and I have a way to help the Emperor and Empress deal with the Xie family. Ah Wu's voice still echoed in my ears, but unfortunately, she had never heard of this method in her previous life before her father met with misfortune.
Jiang Yuan watched as the dark figure splashed and drew something at the doorway, his fingertips trembling.
"Someone's here!" Fengdu's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he spoke.
"How many?"
"A group of men!"
Jiang Yuan was hidden far away by Fengdu. Just as the man was about to shake his bundle and leave, a large number of people suddenly surrounded him. The man did not struggle for long before he was pressed to the ground.
Jiang Yuan coldly watched the crowd that suddenly appeared. Xu An held up a torch, the flames flickering. The tightly closed vermilion gate of the Marquis of Anguo's mansion suddenly opened, and Song Yanji appeared inside, as if taking a leisurely stroll. He stood smiling in the firelight, one hand behind his back, "It's late at night and the dew is heavy. What are you doing in front of the gate of my Marquis of Anguo's mansion, brave warrior?" As he spoke, he stamped his foot on the slightly damp ground, his face full of understanding.
Jiang Yuan could no longer remain still; A-Wu was threatening the Jiang residence! She straightened her robes, and only when she felt she had done nothing improper did she step closer to the vermilion gate. "Husband, what are you doing?"
“Ah Yuan is a step behind me.” Song Yansi reached out his hand, and Jiang Yuan smiled as he placed his fingers in his palm. He then whispered, “However, Xu An is not as good as Ah Yuan.”
"You knew all along?" Jiang Yuan looked up at him. In the firelight, his eyelashes cast shadows, making it impossible to see the emotions in his eyes.
“I’ve offended quite a few people these days, so naturally I need to be more cautious.” He held her soft fingertips, which were a little cold. “Light a fire! The brighter the better. I want to see what he’s drawn!”
Torches were lit one after another, illuminating the gate of the Marquis of Anguo as if it were daytime. The water stains that had just been sprinkled gradually changed color because of the light. The originally clear areas began to show a faint red tinge, which deepened as the firelight grew brighter, and finally turned into a scarlet color all over the ground.
A huge star chart suddenly appears, with the guest star shining brightly, the main star hidden, and the comet prominently displayed above the Three Stars.
The Book of Heavenly Officials once said: "When wisdom resides in the Three Stars, ministers will rise and rulers will perish."
What blasphemous behavior! If we don't notice it tonight, and tomorrow the sun shines on our doorstep, and a strange phenomenon occurs in full view of everyone, the consequences will be unimaginable!
But is that really all? Jiang Yuan's fingertips trembled with anger. Her father and Song Yanji had a disagreement in court because of someone in the palace! Suppressing her anger, she sneered, "Who sent you? You wouldn't be talking about Lord Jiang, would you?"
The surroundings were deathly silent.
If this strange phenomenon goes unnoticed, the Marquis of Anguo's mansion will surely become the target of everyone's criticism. If it is discovered, then the blame will be placed on the Jiang family, making Song Yanji believe that Jiang Zhongsi forced him to relinquish power!
Jiang Yuan saw the man tremble, as if his thoughts had been exposed. Before he could even bite down on the pill in his back teeth, she quickly said, "Don't let him die!"
In an instant, Fengdu's figure reached out and twisted the man's chin. His eyes were filled with shock, and he couldn't close his mouth. Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth to the ground, wetting a patch of earth.
"Want to die? Not so easy!" Jiang Yuan stared at Song Yansi with a chilling aura, "I'll interrogate this man myself!"
“Okay.” Song Yansi nodded with his eyes down. He hadn’t seen Jiang Yuan like this in many years. Whenever the Jiang family was involved, she would become like a hedgehog, sensitive and suspicious, covered in hard thorns.
Inside the cell, the whip lashed against the flesh, staining the floor with spots of crimson blood. Jiang Yuan sat in the chair, staring straight at him.
She had seen plenty of assassins in her past life, but everyone has weaknesses. Many people who fell into her hands were forced to tell the truth, even though they were neither alive nor dead. Jiang Yuan was never soft-hearted when it came to crossing her bottom line.
In this life, she and Song Yanji never reached a point of life and death. She was willing to be the peaceful and gentle Lady of the Marquis, accompany him to conquer this vast land, see her family safe and happy, and let her son be high above others.
But someone actually wanted to ruin everything she had ever wanted in her life.
"Who is it?" A bucket of cold water was poured on him, and the man fainted and then woke up. In the past few days, there was not a single patch of good skin on his body, and the blood that kept flowing had already soaked his clothes. Jiang Yuan already had the answer in her heart, but she just wanted to hear the man say it himself.
"Respect...Respect Princess Wu..." The person's vision was completely black, and he kept rolling his eyes as he muttered to himself.
“What else?” Jiang Yuan stood up and moved closer to him, the smell of blood filling his nostrils.
"No...nothing more." His thoughts were already unclear, but he couldn't possibly give up on the Xie family!
"Continue." Jiang Yuan turned her back, bloodstains soaking her embroidered shoes. She heard the cracking of whips and muffled groans in her ears. Her voice was so soft it was almost like talking to herself, "Awu is going too far."
The news came from Zuo Shuang, and Xie Jiayan was probably involved to some extent as well. Jiang Yuan squatted down with a cold face and gently wiped the bloodstains on her shoes with a handkerchief, again and again.
"Master, she's almost ready to confess." Xu An had been keeping a close eye on the man ever since he entered the prison. Jiang Yuan's interrogation skills were definitely not something she had developed in a day or two. She didn't seem to intend to hide anything from him, which made Xu An even more horrified. Was this still the same gentle and charming lady?
"Find a way to kill him." Song Yansi frowned and said. The interrogation could not continue. This matter should end with Princess Jingwu. The Xie family should not be implicated directly.
Jiang Yuan cannot get involved in this intricate scheme between him and the Xie family! It was impossible in the past life, and it is even more impossible in this life.
Chapter 69 Interlocking Links
"Madam," Fengdu said, peering at the corpse on the ground, "poisoned."
The wounds on his body had turned bluish-black, clearly indicating that the poison had entered his body through the wounds. Jiang Yuan glanced at the empty wooden basin next to him, which was originally used to hold cold water. "Go and check it out."
Fengdu is skilled in poisons, and the results will be available in no time. "Madam's guess is correct."
The poison was dissolved in water, and basin after basin of it was poured down. The cold water mixed with fresh blood seeped into the body, and she could kill people silently right under their noses. Very few people could do this.
"Song Yansi, what exactly do you want to do?" Jiang Yuan muttered to himself, a rare look of anger on his face, before flung his sleeves and left the cell.
When Jiang Yuan arrived at the mansion, Xu An was already waiting for her at the gate. The area in front of the mansion was cleaned up and there was no trace of the bloodstains from that night. "Madam, the master invites you to the study."
"You've calculated it so accurately." Jiang Yuan couldn't help but laugh out loud, but there was no smile in her eyes. "That's exactly what I was looking for."
Song Yansi's study was decorated in a rather simple and elegant style. As the weather was getting warmer, a half-height vase was filled with newly picked flower branches. He sat quietly behind the desk, holding a book in one hand. He only looked up when he heard Jiang Yuan open the door.
"You killed him." Jiang Yuan closed the door, asking calmly, but Song Yan knew that she was probably furious inside.
“That’s right.” Song Yansi stood up and walked to her. He was a head taller than Jiang Yuan, and he looked down at her. “You can’t ask anymore.”
"Hmph." Jiang Yuan pursed her lips and chuckled, her fingers clenching tightly beneath her wide sleeves. "Are you doubting my father?"
Song Yansi shook his head, "No."
"Then why did you kill him!" Jiang Yuan stepped forward, tilting her head back. She rarely looked him in the eye like this, her gaze filled with suspicion and scrutiny.
"Since you already know, why do you still ask?" Song Yansi calmly looked back at her.
"I only ever trust my own eyes and my own ears," Jiang Yuan said, tapping her earlobe. "I want to hear it with my own ears."
“In that case,” Song Yansi said, brushing her hair aside with one hand. His warm hand touched her earlobe and gently stroked the ruby hanging from her ear. “I can only tell you that I have never doubted your father this time. Although we have political differences, it is not to the point of this.”
Jiang Yuan reached out and pulled down the fingers on her ear, but Song Yanji grabbed them back. "My men have been watching the princess's residence ever since you left the palace."
He did find out after all, whether it was Zhu Chuan or Luo Nuan? He seemed to be using this self-disclosure to gain her trust and prove that he truly had no suspicions about the Jiang family.
“A-Yuan, you should know me.” Song Yansi put her hand to his lips. “If I had any doubts, I would have already put aside my own family for the greater good. There’s no need for you to question me.”
"I'm just worried and confused." Jiang Yuan blinked quickly, her tone suddenly softening. She looked cute and shook his hand, saying, "The world is so chaotic these days, I'm genuinely afraid."
He patted her head and smiled without saying a word.
"Fengdu, go do something for me." Jiang Yuan walked out of the study, the sun was warm, and he walked in the winding corridor. "Today at Shenshi, go to Bafang Shop to buy me a plum cake snack, with red stamens. Also, go to Shunfeng Tea Shop to buy me a box of new Shangrao Bai Mei tea. The paper should be Duobaoxuan Cuiwen Xuan paper."
Since Awu dared to do the first thing, she shouldn't be surprised if she did the fifteenth.
In her past life, Prince Liang, Li Li, secretly engaged in mercenary activities, and A Wu had close ties with him. At that time, she had a major falling out with Song Yanji because of her brother's death. Later, her father died from his injuries, and she harbored even more resentment in her heart. So she really took advantage of Song Yanji's weakness and helped A Wu and Li Li plot something.
In her desperation, she was consumed by hatred, resentment, and grievances, never considering the consequences, the fate of the world, or the plight of countless people. What happened afterward, Jiang Yuan never knew. She couldn't live to see that day. Looking back now, she deeply regrets how incredibly selfish she had been in her past life.
As for Song Yanji, Jiang Yuan strolled to the edge of the pond, where the koi carp swam happily. She didn't mind helping him out, since it was always better to have something of one's own than to take something from an outsider.
That evening, Jiang Yuan wrote a secret letter that only A Wu and the Prince of Liang could understand. He then pressed a piece of white silk from Shangrao into the sealing wax, inside which was placed a red stamen from a plum cake. Plum cakes were a traditional snack in Li Li's fiefdom, and only the Bafang Shop in Lin'an had them. The ones with red stamens were only available in the few servings that came out of the steamer at Shenshi (3-5 PM).
Song Yanji wanted to reduce the power of the princes, so she would give him what he wanted. As for her father, she really needed to find time to talk to him; there were bound to be many things she didn't know.
In April of the same year, a secret letter from Prince Liang, Li Li, was sent to Lin'an. Jiang Yuan, who knew the intricacies of the matter, sent Feng Du with the coded message to retrieve it. In exchange, Jiang Yuan had Song Yanji send Jiang Li to Ningxi and arranged for Kong Lingju to go with him, placing him under the rank of his elder brother. Only then did Jiang Yuan hand over the deciphered information and the secret letter to Song Yanji.
"Aren't you going to ask me how I got it?" Jiang Yuan smiled somewhat strangely.
“This is A-Yuan’s secret.” Song Yansi was slightly taken aback, then shook his head and said, “I trust her and I won’t ask any more questions.”
As expected, when Prince Liang Li Li's secret letter was presented to the court, it caused an uproar. Even the usually composed Grand Tutor Xie was taken aback. He frowned and scrutinized Song Yanji from head to toe with an unprecedented seriousness.
"What secret message!" Princess Jingwu exclaimed in surprise, knocking over her teacup.
The guards who came on orders naturally wouldn't say much to her, saying, "Your Highness will know once you enter the palace."
Throughout the journey, A-Wu's mind was in a daze until she saw Li Li's reply. Shock filled her eyes. Why hadn't she written back? Why was Hong Rui returned stained black? This was a secret between her and Li Li, and no one else knew it except her!
A chill ran through her body, and Princess Jingwu looked at Song Yansi with eyes full of terror. This secret was known to no third person in the world, and she had only just begun to plot it. Princess Jingwu could barely speak, "Who...who are you?"
"Your humble servant's name is Song Yansi." Song Yansi looked at Princess Jingwu, who was kneeling on the ground, with a calm expression.
"Your Majesty! This old minister believes that the matter of reducing the power of the princes should not be delayed any longer!" Seeing that the time was ripe, Grand Tutor Xie knelt down, lifting his robe.
"Your Majesty, I agree!" In the main hall, everyone knelt down in unison. There was an unprecedented harmony between the two factions. For them, the matter of the Prince of Liang was a foregone conclusion, which was not good for any of them.
Song Yanji's actions were extremely significant. He not only used this opportunity to weaken the power of the princes, but also went on to execute several related maternal relatives, implicate and punish local powerful figures who opposed him, and of course, force Princess Jingwu to commit suicide.
When Jiang Yuan received the news, she remained silent in her room for a long time. Zhu Chuan and the others tactfully took Cheng Yu to play in the yard, and no one dared to disturb her.
Don't worry, Yuan. One day, I will make you watch the Xie family of Yanzhou collapse.
In her past life, everyone was fighting amongst themselves, and she was forced by Song Yansi to choose Awu.
In this life, she didn't want to get involved, but A-Wu forced her to be by Song Yansi's side.
Even on the day A-Wu chose the Xie family over Xie Jiayan, Jiang Yuan never imagined that her life and A-Wu would end up like this.
It's either you or me who dies.
Fengdu brought new news that evening: the princess's residence had been raided, and more than ten secret letters were found hidden in the walls. There were also twenty-seven male concubines in the residence, many of whom were gifts from officials.
"Have you seen a musician?" Jiang Yuan asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
“I don’t know their identities.” Fengdu shook his head, as if he had remembered something else, and added, “There was a male concubine whose tongue was cut out and whose eyes were gouged out, but I don’t know if it was Princess Jingwu’s doing.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan immediately guessed who it was. The musician's eyes looked exactly like those of Young Master Duan. How could A Wu bear to gouge them out?
"Mother!" Chengyu, holding a small kite and with beads of sweat on her forehead, rushed in happily and grabbed her hand. "Yu'er can fly the kite so high, so high! Come and see!"
"Okay." Jiang Yuan reached out and poked Cheng Yu's little face. Song Yansi was indeed the Song Yansi she knew, quick and ruthless.
In July of the first year of the Yuanshi era, the Southern Liang Dynasty suffered a severe drought, which was compounded by a locust plague. The people of Qingzhou, the most severely affected area, were forced to flee and live in misery.
Song Yanji wrote to the emperor, offering to donate all the land owned by the Song family in Qingzhou to resettle and relieve disaster victims, and to open the seventy-eight rice shops owned by the Song family in Nanliang to distribute grain and porridge.
When the news reached the main family, Master Song was so angry he almost fainted.