“I, I, cousin…”
Fei Yun trembled violently, his eyes fixed on Jiang Chaohua’s brows and eyes, feeling as if a large hand were choking his neck, making it hard to breathe.
In Jiang Chaohua’s eyes, there was amusement, sarcasm, and most of all, killing intent.
It was as if she knew everything—knew that he had been bribed by Jiang Wanxin to try and kill Jiang Wanyi.
This thought nearly broke Fei Yun. He almost blurted out Jiang Wanxin’s name, begging her to save him.
It was all Jiang Wanxin’s doing; otherwise, how would a mere servant like him dare?
“This treacherous slave attempted to murder my second brother and frame me for it. If I kill him today, who would dare accuse me!!”
With the rise and fall of her sword, Jiang Chaohua’s gaze was obscure, as if waiting for someone.
She abruptly raised her hand again, and Fei Yun’s arm was cleanly severed!
“Ah!”
The noble ladies screamed, their stomachs churning with nausea.
Even Lu Ming Chuan and Cheng Huai hadn’t expected Jiang Chaohua to be so ruthless as to directly chop off Fei Yun’s arm.
“Help! Your Highness Prince Jing, save me! Young Master Cheng, save me! I didn’t do it, I’m innocent!”
Fei Yun lay on the ground, writhing in pain.
The pain made him even more alert.
He broke out in a cold sweat, remembering the person backing Jiang Wanxin, and clenched his teeth tightly, refusing to drag Jiang Wanxin into this.
Jiang Wanxin’s face turned pale, but her heart eased.
Fei Yun wouldn’t expose her, after all, she had Jiang He protecting her from behind.
Jiang He was the head of the Jiang family, and Fei Yun’s entire family’s lives were in Jiang He’s hands—he wouldn’t dare.
“Outrageous!”
Lu Ming Chuan roared lowly, his sleeves fluttering, his face dark and stormy.
To act so boldly in front of him—Jiang Chaohua was far too audacious!
“Outrageous? I only wish I could skin him alive and pull out his tendons! My second brother, how precious his status is—a mere servant dares to plot against his life!”
Jiang Chaohua’s expression grew even fiercer, blood dripping steadily from her sword.
Amid the thick scent of blood, she bent down, pressing the sword against Fei Yun’s neck:
“As my second brother’s personal servant, you allowed him to climb that tall tree alone—what were your intentions! You could claim it was because I wanted to eat dates that my second brother climbed the tree, but why did you appear so conveniently, accusing me of killing my second brother without even seeing clearly! What, did you already know in your heart that my second brother would fall from the tree and die?”
Jiang Chaohua’s gaze was like that of a demon, unsettling everyone who saw it.
Her crimson eye corners and icy expression gradually made some people come to their senses.
That’s right—this servant had immediately rushed over and accused Jiang Chaohua.
It was because of his words that they had been so certain Jiang Chaohua was the culprit.
The servant hadn’t even seen clearly—how could he be so sure Jiang Wanyi was dead?
When you thought about it, it really didn’t make sense.
“I, I didn’t see clearly, but I never intended to harm the second young master.”
Fei Yun gritted his teeth stubbornly, his face pale from Jiang Chaohua’s relentless questioning.
Jiang Chaohua had done it on purpose—deliberately created the illusion that Jiang Wanyi was dead to lure him out.
“Never intended? Then what about those sharpened stakes under the big tree? If I hadn’t stumbled upon this place by chance, if my second brother had fallen from the tree, can you imagine he would have survived?”
Jiang Chaohua sneered incessantly, grabbing Fei Yun by the collar and dragging him toward the sharpened wooden stakes.
“Guards!”
Shen Shi gasped sharply at the sight of the stakes, her expression growing increasingly severe.
At her command, over a dozen black-clad guards immediately surrounded the area. These guards had originally been brought from the Zhongyi Marquis Estate and were fiercely loyal to Shen Shi, though in her past life, they had been deceived away by Jiang He.
“Restrain him for me, tie him up, and interrogate him under torture! Force him to reveal who is behind this. I want to see exactly who dares to harm my son!”
The thought of Jiang Wanyi nearly dying made Shen Shi tremble with fear. Though her son was simple-minded, if anyone dared harm him, she would never let it go!
“What more do you have to say for yourself? I’ve treated you well, yet you dare harm the young master of this household? Speak! Who ordered you? Don’t forget—your servant contract is still in my possession!”
Shen Shi approached Fei Yun, looking down at him imperiously. At the mention of the servant contract, Fei Yun’s tense body slackened. He had signed a flexible contract with the ministerial household; Shen Shi was kind, and when the contract expired, he could return home. But such contracts had their drawbacks—if servants made mistakes, their families would be implicated. Fei Yun had only an elderly mother; everything he did was to ensure she could live comfortably.
“Mother, perhaps we should hand him over to the Nine Gates Admiral’s Office for disposal. If someone put him up to this, they’ll quickly uncover who it was.”
Jiang Chaohua’s gaze was profound. Noticing Jiang Wanxin’s face had turned pale again, she curled her crimson lips into a smile as eerie as a ghost from the underworld.
“Yan Jing, what a coincidence. You’ve just returned to the capital, and already you have a case to handle?”
A playful voice rang out from behind, startling everyone. They turned to look and saw two elegant figures approaching slowly. The shifting sunlight cast upon them seemed to bring a blaze of brilliant colors.
“Yan Jing is back?” “Heavens, that harbinger of doom has actually returned.”
His crimson brocade robe was embroidered with dark patterns as rich as blood, like flowers blooming from hell. Beneath the robe, he wore boots of the same intense hue. The owner of the boots drew nearer, his steps rustling softly.
Jiang Chaohua stood rigid, watching the approaching youth with panic in her eyes. She still remembered the fierce, piercing pain of the arrow that had shot through her chest, ending her life instantly. She also recalled the icy, severe expression of the youth holding the bow. The face from her memories overlapped with the young man before her now. Jiang Chaohua trembled slightly. Her suggestion to send Fei Yun to the Nine Gates Admiral’s Office had been meant to intimidate him into implicating Jiang Wanxin, but she never expected Yan Jing to appear at the Jiang family today. In her past life, he hadn’t come—what was happening?
As Jiang Chaohua pondered this, Shen Shi, mistaking her stillness for fright, wrapped a comforting arm around her and turned to face Yan Jing.
The youth seemed to arrive as if stepping on auspicious clouds, standing poised in the wind, peerless and composed. His thick brows were slightly raised, his smile both bright and shadowy, like an orchid in the air, a touch of aloof elegance drifting in the breeze.
Beside Yan Jing was a youth of similar age, his expression playful. His dark, pitch-black eyes fixed on Jiang Chaohua, within them flickering a faint but unmistakable hint of murderous intent.
Falling into the lake and still bouncing around alive—seems this Jiang family’s wicked girl has quite the tough fate.
Shen Puyu wasn’t sure if Jiang Chaohua had overheard their conversation earlier, but judging by Jiang Chaohua’s panicked expression, she likely had. Otherwise, how could even this notorious wicked girl of Chang’an City be so terrified?
Shen Puyu turned her head to look at Yan Jing. Hanging at Yan Jing’s waist was a long sword, his signature accessory. As the young marquis of Xuanning Marquis Estate, Yan Jing was deeply favored by the Empress Dowager. From a young age, he had been indulged into becoming a little troublemaker of the world—no one in Chang’an City dared to provoke him.
That alone would have been enough, but to make matters worse, the current Emperor had also entrusted Yan Jing with the official position of the Nine Gates Admiral. Yan Jing acted decisively and mercilessly; if any court official dared to commit a crime, he would execute first and report later. Under Yan Jing’s leadership, the reputation of the Nine Gates Admiral’s Office had become utterly terrifying. Some said if the Admiral’s Office wanted you dead by the third watch, even the King of Hell wouldn’t dare collect your soul early.
If Fei Yun were taken to the Admiral’s Office, he’d likely confess everything within an hour—after all, Yan Jing’s methods were no joke.
“No, I won’t go! I won’t! Save me, Cous—” At the sight of Yan Jing, Fei Yun grew even more terrified. He couldn’t hold back any longer, scrambling to his feet and lunging toward Jiang Wanxin.
“Guards! Seize this servant for me!” Jiang Wanxin was scared out of her wits, especially as she watched Fei Yun charge at her. She was already imagining how she would explain herself when Fei Yun pointed the finger at her.
At the critical moment, a deep voice rang out. Jiang Chaohua shuddered once more, her eyes red as she glared at Jiang He. So, Jiang Wanxin dared to harm Second Brother only because Jiang He had authorized it.
She hated it!