She Was Terrified
And her husband, Song Chengyu, had actually died on their wedding bed!
That scene.
It left her mind blank and her limbs weak. Even when Madam Song slapped her repeatedly, she didn’t know to dodge.
She was truly terrified!
The door was wide open, and outside, guests crowded around, craning their necks to watch the commotion.
Instead of covering it up, Madam Song did everything possible to escalate the situation, effortlessly turning her into the sinner of the entire capital.
Now, thinking back.
This bowl of porridge must have been drugged!
Having pieced together the sequence of events.
Jiang Zhaoying’s body turned cold as ice. She rose, fetched paper and brush, and began writing swiftly, her voice icy as she spoke.
“Shu Yun, sneak out of the mansion later and personally deliver this letter to Xu Zhiyan. Once he reads it, he will seek out Father. Remember, you must hand it to him personally.”
“Yes, I will deliver it without fail.”
Shu Yun was honest and fiercely loyal to her mistress, always following whatever her young lady said without question.
After taking the letter.
She first instructed Shu Yu to take good care of the young lady, telling her not to question anything the young lady did and simply obey.
Then, taking advantage of the fact that everyone in the Song household was busy in the front courtyard, she slipped a string of coins to the gatekeeper and hurried into the night.
The wind in the courtyard rustled the branches, casting shadows in the warm yellow candlelight, like monstrous beasts lurking.
Jiang Zhaoying stood by the window, her red wedding gown as vivid as a painting.
Holding the steaming bowl of porridge, she slowly poured it out beneath the camellia tree outside the window. Only when the chill in her eyes had completely faded did she turn and give her orders.
“Shu Yu, tell them I’ve finished eating and that I enjoyed it very much. Reward each of them with two taels of silver.”
“Yes.”
Following Shu Yun’s instructions and knowing her young lady had never liked porridge, Shu Yu acknowledged the order, took the reward silver and the empty bowl, and left.
Sure enough.
In less than half a quarter of an hour, the sound of maids curtsying could be heard outside.
The hatred in Jiang Zhaoying’s heart threatened to tear the room apart. She turned and returned to the bed, sitting down. As the red bridal veil was lowered over her head once more, it concealed the murderous intent in her eyes.
The door was pushed open.
Amidst the brilliant lamplight, Song Chengyu, dressed in his wedding attire, exuded confidence and joy. With a faint scent of wine about him, he walked step by step toward Jiang Zhaoying.
Jiang Zhaoying sat upright and motionless, but her nails dug so deeply into her palms inside her sleeves that they nearly pierced her flesh.
“Ying’er.”
The veil was lifted, and Song Chengyu leaned down, calling her name gently. If she hadn’t known his affection was false, his tender, loving demeanor might have truly deceived her.
Suppressing her disgust.
She slowly raised her long lashes, her beautiful eyes shimmering as if holding a thousand breathtaking scenes, instantly captivating Song Chengyu’s gaze.
Song Chengyu was stunned!
He hadn’t expected Jiang Zhaoying to be so stunningly beautiful, so mesmerizingly lovely. Maintaining his gentle smile, his breathing gradually grew more rapid.
Jiang Zhaoying pretended not to notice, feigning shyness as she avoided his increasingly heated gaze. Song Chengyu, inhaling her delicate fragrance, couldn’t resist pulling her into his embrace.
After a long while, Song Chengyu’s voice, tinged with slight regret, finally sounded above her head.
“Ying’er, the Song family has strict rules. I have no concubines or maidservants by my side. Since our engagement, my heart has belonged only to you, unwavering in my loyalty. Will you, like me, love your husband wholeheartedly, honor my mother, care for my younger siblings, and manage the entire marquis’s household?”
In her previous life, hearing such tender declarations and seeing his handsome, gentle appearance, Jiang Zhaoying had been overjoyed, her cheeks flushed with shyness as she promised him word by word.
Now, thinking back.
He simply wanted to hear her assurance that she would take care of everything in the Marquis’s household after he disappeared. What deep affection or unwavering devotion was there in that?
“Husband, do you truly love only me?”
Jiang Zhaoying looked at Song Chengyu, her eyes slightly curved as she asked softly. Song Chengyu’s gaze flickered, but his smile grew even gentler as he nodded.
“Then swear an oath, husband. What should happen if you break it?”
Seeing the guilt gradually forming in his eyes, Jiang Zhaoying felt like tearing his heart out. Since she had been reborn, it proved that heaven had eyes. She wanted Song Chengyu to swear a deadly oath, to have the heavens help her deal with these villains.
“Alright.”
Song Chengyu suppressed his smile and raised his hand.
“I swear, if I break this oath, may I be struck by lightning and die a miserable death.”
“I’ve remembered it!”
Jiang Zhaoying leaned closer to him, gritting her teeth as she spoke into his ear. Song Chengyu felt a slight itch in his ear, and a fiery heat spread throughout his body. If it weren’t for Yuefu, who feared he would consummate the marriage with Jiang Zhaoying and was waiting for him outside the Marquis’s residence, he would have definitely consummated the marriage before leaving.
The more he thought about it, the more the flames of desire spread, instantly dissolving all his schemes. Song Chengyu pinched Jiang Zhaoying’s chin, his thin lips pressing down eagerly.
Jiang Zhaoying frowned, subtly turning her head to avoid his lips. As she swayed unsteadily, she pressed her forehead and murmured softly.
“Husband, why do I feel so dizzy…”
Before she could finish her sentence, she fell into a deep slumber.
His embrace was suddenly empty.
A cold breeze swept in through the door, chilling Song Chengyu and sobering him up considerably. As a venomous gleam gathered in his eyes, he coldly stared at the unconscious Jiang Zhaoying, his thumb lightly tracing her fair skin.
What did it matter if she was a noblewoman?
She had still been carried into his household, destined to serve him like a beast of burden for the rest of her life. After he left, his mother would surely find a way to force Jiang Zhaoying to use her dowry to resolve that matter for him.
Otherwise.
Once the court discovered it, the Song family would face certain extermination.
He was unwilling to take such a risk!
With Jiang Zhaoying, things were different. Her father was merely a fifth-rank Chief Astronomer of the Imperial Astronomer’s Bureau. Even if he learned the truth in the future, he likely wouldn’t have the power to confront the Marquis’s household. Moreover, her biological mother was immensely wealthy, and even though she had passed away early, she left behind endless riches, which could conveniently help him resolve everything.
In this way.
The Song family’s crisis would be effortlessly resolved, and he would no longer have to live in fear. He could even fly away with the one he truly loved. One always had to make choices. Dispelling the regret in his eyes, Song Chengyu helped her lie down properly before lying down himself.
The effects of the drug soon took hold.
His originally ruddy complexion turned deathly pale, his lips turned purple, his body grew cold and stiff, and his pulse vanished entirely.
Outside the room, footsteps echoed urgently, one layer overlapping another.
And on the bed.
Jiang Zhaoying suddenly opened her icy eyes!
The door was flung open with a heavy thud. Madam Song, her second son Song Mingji, and her youngest daughter Song Qinghuan stormed into the chamber with an imposing air. Without even glancing at them, Madam Song waved her handkerchief, first letting out a scream, then bursting into loud sobs.
“Someone, come quickly! This wretch has killed my son! Jiang Zhaoying has brought death upon my son!”
“What are we to do? Her husband has just died in bed after their wedding. Jiang Zhaoying is nothing but a harbinger of doom. Come and see for yourselves!”
The courtyard had originally hidden some of Song Chengyu’s close friends, hoping to playfully disturb the bridal chamber. Instead, they heard a chorus of wailing and howling, which startled them into a frantic scramble. In no time, the outer courtyard was packed with people.
Peering in and seeing the motionless groom lying on the bed, along with Madam Song and a few others weeping in sorrow, everyone was stunned by the scene.
Madam Song, weeping all the while, glanced around and saw that enough people had gathered. She then turned and charged toward Jiang Zhaoying, baring her teeth as she swung a fierce slap toward her face…