Killing Intent
The carriage moved forward slowly.
Jiang Zhaoying lifted the curtain, frowning as she looked at the three large characters inscribed on the Crown Prince’s residence.
What a small world—it was actually him!
Xu Zhiyan picked up a piece of pastry and handed it to Jiang Zhaoying, asking her in confusion.
“Ying’er, how did you know about General Zhang’s letter? Although this matter could force His Highness to compromise with us, it’s far too dangerous!”
The killing intent emanating from the Crown Prince earlier was no illusion.
Xu Zhiyan was also aware of the matter regarding the letter.
It was from General Zhang, who was stationed in Yunzhou. He had once written to the Crown Prince, stating that if his daughter were made the Crown Princess, all the troops under his command would pledge their full allegiance to the Crown Prince’s residence. At the time, the Crown Prince’s advisors were strongly in favor, as military power was of utmost importance to the Crown Prince’s residence.
Moreover, General Zhang commanded a considerable number of troops.
Just when everyone thought the Crown Prince would agree, he refused.
The advisors were so anxious they couldn’t sleep all night. Worried that outright refusal would lead to hostility, they sent back an ambiguous reply, believing General Zhang would understand.
But who could have known?
A month later, General Zhang was killed by a traitor and surrounding nomadic tribes, and the letters vanished without a trace.
The covert guards immediately searched for the whereabouts of the letters, but those exchanged correspondences were nowhere to be found.
Jiang Zhaoying shook her head while eating the pastry.
“Don’t worry. Although my words sounded like a threat, the Crown Prince could tell it was a gesture of goodwill. Besides… now that these three letters have resurfaced, it’s actually good news for the Crown Prince’s residence.”
Xu Zhiyan smiled and then asked her.
“What do you think of the Crown Prince?”
Jiang Zhaoying slightly raised her long eyelashes.
“His Dragon Qi and aura of slaughter are very strong, but I didn’t observe him closely, so it’s hard to draw a conclusion for now.”
After saying this, she recalled how he had ordered someone to throw her into the water in the dead of winter and added another sentence.
“He’s probably not an easy person to get along with.”
Xu Zhiyan hadn’t expected her to make such an assessment and patted her head.
“Ying’er, if you don’t want to return to the Song residence, that’s fine. I have a small estate where you can stay as long as you like.”
Ever since Madam Jiang arranged this marriage for her, he had been like a man possessed, purchasing a large, beautifully landscaped estate in an excellent location.
Every plant and tree was arranged according to her preferences.
He thought that one day,
if she grew tired of life among the noble families, she could stay there for a couple of days to relax.
A flicker of longing appeared in Jiang Zhaoying’s eyes, but it quickly faded.
“Not now. The Emperor is keeping a close watch.”
She truly wished she could leave the Song residence immediately.
But.
The Emperor had just issued an oral decree forbidding them from divorcing, and she still hadn’t avenged her great grievance. Now was definitely not the right time to leave.
“Second Brother, I will protect myself. Besides, if this matter isn’t resolved completely, I’ll keep running into trouble.”
Xu Zhiyan knew she had her own ideas and sighed in relief, his voice turning cold.
“I never expected the Song residence to harbor such sinister intentions. I’ll send two people over later, but you still need to be careful. At the slightest sign of trouble, send someone to find me or our eldest brother immediately.”
“Alright.”
Jiang Zhaoying looked at the handsome, gentle young man before her, her eyes curving into a smile as she agreed. Leaning forward, she tilted her head up to look at her second brother.
“Second Brother, don’t always keep such a cold expression. You look so much better when you smile.”
Her beautiful appearance suddenly filled his vision, and a faint fragrance wafted toward him. Xu Zhiyan was momentarily stunned before pursing his lips.
“Alright.”
“By the way, Second Senior Brother, how do you plan to explain things after the earthquake?”
“Do you have any ideas, Ying’er?”
Since learning of her abilities, Xu Zhiyan and Wei Jiuzhao had grown accustomed to consulting her on various matters. Jiang Zhaoying leaned back slightly.
“Just say that the Crown Prince had a dream in which a great disaster struck a certain place, causing countless casualties among the people. Worried, the Crown Prince summoned the Imperial Astronomer’s Bureau to conduct day and night calculations, ultimately determining that the location was Qishan Town.”
“I think… the Crown Prince will surely find a way to evacuate the people as a precaution. Once the disaster occurs and the Crown Prince saves them, his reputation among the populace will soar, suppressing the other princes for a time.”
“If the disaster doesn’t happen, as long as the Crown Prince uses some means to reassure the people, they will only think His Highness made this decision out of concern and care for them.”
“Excellent!”
Xu Zhiyan nodded. As they chatted, they unknowingly arrived at the entrance of the Song residence.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and the evening breeze drifted in. The crimson hues on the horizon had long been swallowed by the deepening dusk.
Shu Yun helped Jiang Zhaoying slowly descend from the carriage, then waved to Xu Zhiyan.
Just as they were about to return to the Song residence, Xu Zhiyan’s gentle voice came from behind.
“Ying’er.”
Jiang Zhaoying turned and looked at him with a smile.
Xu Zhiyan, standing in the shadows, seemed to be restraining something. After a long pause, he finally asked her, “If I were to stop your marriage, would you blame me?”
“No!”
These two words stirred countless ripples in Xu Zhiyan’s cold, deep eyes. Unable to hold back, he stepped closer to Jiang Zhaoying, gazing intently at her.
“I’ve always regarded you as… as a younger sister. So no matter what happens, I will help you. I will do anything for you, even… even kill!”
“Alright.”
Jiang Zhaoying replied softly, but Xu Zhiyan still detected a hint of choked emotion in her voice. Heart aching as if on fire, he gently pressed Jiang Zhaoying’s head against his chest, his eyes reddening.
“Miss!”
Shu Yun was startled.
Xu Zhiyan’s expression shifted slightly, and he quickly released her. Jiang Zhaoying smiled at him, and she and her maid hurried back into the Song residence.
The white decorations that had been hung earlier had already been taken down.
The steward was directing the servants to hang new lanterns one by one.
Each face carried a faint trace of joy.
Indeed.
With the crisis resolved, no matter how unwilling she was, she could only stay at the Song residence. Madam Song felt she had won completely.
Returning to Moyu Courtyard.
Looking at the familiar plants and trees before her, the suffocating feeling filled Jiang Zhaoying with a heavy sense of resentment.
The people she had brought from the Jiang residence had not yet been properly settled. Since it was already late at night, she decided to let them all rest for now and deal with it tomorrow.
Shu Yun and Shu Yu brought in hot water. Seeing the steaming bathtub, Jiang Zhaoying felt an impulse to immerse herself in the warm water to soothe her body.
Just as she was about to undress, a faint rustling sound came from outside the window.
Shu Yun widened her eyes and whispered, “What was that sound?”
She quietly crept to the window, pushed it open slightly, and peered outside.
Since they had just returned, there had been no time to hang lanterns, leaving the courtyard dimly lit. Still, she could make out figures moving about, and they seemed to be carrying something?
Firewood!
Shu Yun shuddered with fear.
Seeing her strange expression, Jiang Zhaoying hurried forward. After taking a clear look, she quickly closed the window tightly and pulled Shu Yun back to the center of the room.
Within moments, without a sound, movement could be heard at both the door and the windows. It seemed they were all being blocked.
“They’re planning to strike in the dark. How shameless can they be?”
Shu Yu whispered, her voice trembling, and Shu Yun immediately grew tense, sweat beading on her forehead.
Jiang Zhaoying’s eyes were icy as she glanced toward the window.
“They won’t kill us. First, prepare wet cloths to cover your noses and mouths later.”
The firewood was lit, flames leaping high, and thick smoke billowed out.
Standing at the doorway was a middle-aged woman in a blue dress, with a round face and plump waist, looking both cunning and harsh. Watching the burning firewood, she pointed at the doors and windows and said softly, “Quick, fan the smoke inside, all of it.”
Soon, black smoke began pouring in through the gaps in the doors and windows. In no time, the room was filled with a foul smell.
Holding a wet cloth lightly over her nose and mouth, Jiang Zhaoying said coldly, “Stop now, and I’ll give each of you a hundred taels of silver.”
The women paused, their movements faltering.
Jiang Zhaoying quickly pointed to the gaps in the door and windows. Taking advantage of their hesitation, Shu Yun and Shu Yu immediately used clothing to block the openings.
Seeing their hesitation, the woman in blue said coldly, “Don’t forget, we’re all family servants. Our lives are in the hands of the Madam and the Young Master.”
Before coming, the Madam had warned them that if they dared to accept money from the Moyu Courtyard, their families would be killed.
So, without further hesitation, they added more firewood and fanned all the smoke inside.
The woman in blue chuckled darkly. “Light the fire, fan all the smoke inside. Let it clear their minds. Once they’ve been smoked enough, they’ll know who to listen to in the future.”
Before coming, the Madam had instructed them: just teach them a lesson, as long as they didn’t kill anyone.
She didn’t believe that after such a scare, Jiang Zhaoying would dare disobey her or ignore her arrangements.
“Miss, the smoke is getting thicker,” Shu Yun pointed at the black smoke pouring in, hopping anxiously. “Should Shu Yu and I rush out while you find a chance to escape?”
Even if they burned to death on the spot, it wouldn’t matter, as long as their mistress could get out and find help.
“How does it feel, Young Madam?” one of the women taunted. “If you’re scared and know you’re wrong, just say so. We’ll stop the fire right away. Go kneel before the Madam, kowtow, admit your mistake, and promise to obey from now on. Then this matter will be over.”
“If you don’t speak up soon, you’ll all suffocate inside, and you can’t blame us.”
The women jeered and laughed, adding more firewood. Thinking about the scene, they grew even more smug, certain that Jiang Zhaoying and her maids would soon be crying and begging for mercy.
Jiang Zhaoying stood quietly not far from the door, her gaze sharp as a blade. Listening to the arrogance outside, she spoke again. “Open the door, and I’ll give each of you a thousand taels.”
“Hahaha!” The woman in blue clapped her hands and laughed. “Stop boasting. You’re from a minor fifth-rank family, a merchant’s daughter. How generous can you be? A thousand taels each? Then throw the silver out for us to see.”
The women laughed, using sticks to push the door open a crack. Without hesitation, Jiang Zhaoying threw out a large ingot of gold.
A crisp clang echoed, and the gold gleamed brightly in the firelight. One of the women, quick-eyed, snatched it up and bit it, then exclaimed in surprise, “It’s gold! This is real gold!”
Immediately after…
Another dozen large gold ingots were thrown out from inside. The old women, grabbing the firewood in their hands and tossing it onto the fire, rushed to snatch the gold.
This was gold—something they could never earn in a lifetime. As long as they picked it up, it would all be theirs.
Jiang Zhaoying watched their movements through the gaps, a flash of killing intent passing through her eyes, as she took the box handed to her by Shu Yun.
“There’s more here.”
The old women turned back.
Inside the side room.
Shu Yun and Shu Yu each held a candle, while Jiang Zhaoying cradled a small box in her hands, filled to the brim with heavy, gleaming gold.
The old women exchanged glances, thinking they had been frightened enough—otherwise, they wouldn’t be begging for mercy.
And so.
In a swarm, they pushed aside the firewood and charged into the side room.
Jiang Zhaoying threw the gold in all directions behind her. As the women frantically rushed in, scrambling everywhere for the gold, Shu Yun and Shu Yu tossed their candles toward flammable spots.
Then.
Jiang Zhaoying grabbed Shu Yun and Shu Yu and dashed out, afterward sweeping all the burning firewood into the side room.
Sounds of fighting and scrambling came from inside.
Shu Yun thoughtfully closed the side room door.
Soon.
Even through the doors and windows, they could see the flames inside suddenly leap up, instantly taller than a person. Black smoke filled the room, choking the old women one by one with relentless coughing.
But.
There was too much gold in the room—they simply couldn’t bear to leave it. They wanted to grab just a little more.
“Let’s go! We’ll be burned alive in here!”
The old woman in green clothes, clutching gold, bared her teeth and shouted. But when the other women saw what she held, they lunged at her like mad to snatch it. The woman in green refused to let go, and the group fell into another brawl.
Crash.
Something fell, followed by their piercing screams.
The fire could no longer be controlled, blazing fiercely. Jiang Zhaoying stood in the courtyard, watching quietly.
Inside, there were many things that caught fire easily—things they had deliberately arranged.
…
“Help! Help! Mistress of the heir, we were wrong, we were wrong! Please, Mistress of the heir, save us!”
Cries for help and screams echoed from inside.
Jiang Zhaoying tightened her grip on Shu Yun and Shu Yu’s hands.
“I gave you a chance.”
With that.
They turned and walked step by step toward the courtyard gate, leaving the raging fire behind.
With a thunderous crash.
Hearing the sound of the house collapsing and burning to ashes, the mountain weighing on Jiang Zhaoying’s heart seemed to crumble as well, easing the suffocating tightness in her chest.
This courtyard.
In her previous life, she had lived here for three years.
Like a cage, stepping into it made it hard to breathe. Now, she had burned it down with her own hands—nothing could be better!
“Let’s go.”
She remembered there was a courtyard in the marquis’s estate that had been empty for over a decade. It was originally the residence of the marquis’s most beloved concubine, but after Madam Song had her killed, it had remained vacant. Madam Song seemed terrified of entering that courtyard.
Jiang Zhaoying thought living there would be fitting!
But just as they stepped out of the courtyard.
Looking up.
They saw Nanny Liu, from Madam Song’s side, leading servants sneaking around. When they spotted Jiang Zhaoying and the others, their faces filled with terror as if they had seen ghosts…