A flurry of hurried footsteps outside the door interrupted her memories.
Xiaochan rushed in, looking as if facing a formidable enemy: “Madam, it’s terrible! An imperial edict has arrived from the palace, saying our Marquis has been accused of treason and colluding with the enemy. They’re sealing the mansion for investigation!”
As the curtain was lifted, the courtyard of the Marquis’s residence was already in chaos, with people and horses in disarray.
The eldest brother, who usually idled about and had a pile of messy lawsuits, Cheng Zifeng was now under investigation. Sanlang and Si Lang, having just married and still young, had never seen such a scene resembling a house raid. They were so terrified when taken away that they nearly wet their pants.
Old Madame Cheng hurriedly chased after them out of the mansion but was driven back by guards with drawn swords.
Worried about her youngest son’s life, she cried out anxiously, “What are you doing? In broad daylight, you dare to arrest people in the Marquis’s residence! Is there no law anymore?”
The guard captain sternly declared, “We are sealing the mansion by imperial decree. Without The Emperor’s order, no one may enter or leave. Those who disobey will be executed without mercy!”
Swords drawn, Old Madame Cheng was so frightened she nearly collapsed to the ground.
The women of the household were gathered in the courtyard, trembling as they watched the guards search the mansion and arrest people.
Through the vermilion-painted gate of the Marquis’s residence, Hai Yunshu caught sight of a familiar yet unfamiliar figure.
The man rode a fiery-maned steed, dressed in luxurious robes embroidered with golden phoenixes, wearing black cloud-patterned brocade boots, and a finely carved jade crown holding up his hair. Every gesture exuded an aloof and noble air that kept others at a distance.
Jiang Chengjing.
Hai Yunshu quietly took a sharp breath. This was her nemesis from her past life.
The Hai family’s decision to break off the engagement was indeed wrong. Although the Jiang family did not pursue the matter afterward, they had ultimately lost face.
Later, when the new emperor ascended the throne, the Jiang family rose to power overnight and naturally sought to avenge their humiliation.
As the great mansion crumbled, Hai Yunshu was the first to bear the brunt.
In her past life, with nowhere to turn for help, a widow who had just given birth went alone to Shezheng Wangfu, inviting a lifetime of gossip and rumors.
Xiaochan, who had followed her mistress since childhood, naturally knew of the grudges and entanglements between the Jiang and Hai families.
She tugged at Hai Yunshu’s sleeve and whispered, “Madam, could this be aimed at you?”
“Let’s wait and see.”
As a concubine-born son, Jiang Chengjing had been ruthless and deep-minded since childhood.
Hai Yunshu had witnessed him being framed for theft by the eldest son of the Jiang family when they were young. Without defending himself, he endured thirty lashes from Old Master Jiang’s thorny whip, his flesh torn open, yet he never once frowned.
Not long after, the eldest son of the Jiang family accidentally fell into the water and died. The authorities could not find any evidence of foul play and could only close the case as an accident.
From then on, Jiang Chengjing became the eldest son of the Jiang family, paving the way for his future wealth and glory.
It was clear he was someone who knew how to bide his time.
Amid the commotion, Jiang Chengjing also spotted Hai Yunshu among the women of the Marquis’s household.
His phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly as he scrutinized her, his expression dark and brooding, like a black cloud pressing down, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
Xiaochan instinctively stepped in front of her: “Madam, don’t be afraid.”
Hai Yunshu gently pushed her hand away: “What is there to fear? After all, I am still the Marchioness. What can he do to me?”
Sure enough, after the guards made a grand show of searching the Marquis’s residence inside and out, they found no trace of Cheng Zifeng and had no choice but to withdraw.
Jiang Chengjing urged his horse forward, looking down at her from above: “Third Sister, it’s been a while.”
His words carried a bone-chilling coldness.
Hai Yunshu was the third child in her family. Instead of addressing her as Marchioness, Jiang Chengjing used the childhood nickname, as if with ulterior motives.
The women of the household were all too frightened to speak, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Yet Hai Yunshu showed no fear: “Whether I’m well or not depends entirely on Your Highness’s word.”
Not only the Three Departments and Six Ministries, but even the Privy Council and the Imperial City Department were filled with his spies and informants. With hundreds of Secret Guards at his disposal, was there any message he couldn’t uncover?
Jiang Chengjing wore a faint, ambiguous smile. “Sheltering a wanted criminal is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations. With your frail frame, I doubt you could bear the weight of such a charge.”
Bear what? If not for her concern for Cong’er, Hai Yunshu would have gladly sent the entire family to their graves together.
Now, constrained by caution, she had no choice but to plan carefully.
“There must be some mistake,” Old Madame Cheng explained, her voice trembling. “Your Highness must be mistaken. Our Second Brother died in battle at Jinjiang Beach. How could he possibly be guilty of treason or hiding here in the Marquis’s residence?”
Jiang Chengjing couldn’t be bothered with her excuses. He swept his silver whip across the room, warning the Cheng family: “By the Emperor’s decree, we must see the man alive or his corpse. The choice is yours. Think it over, then come find me.”
“Your Highness!” The Old Madame tried to stop him but quickly checked her emotions, lowering her voice as she approached Jiang Chengjing, ingratiatingly saying, “Your Highness, name your price. Even if it’s a mountain of gold and silver, our Marquis’s residence won’t bargain a single coin. The Hai family—you know them, our in-laws—are never short of money.”
“The Hai clan of Wanping?”
A deliberate question.
The Old Madame nodded. “Exactly.”
Jiang Chengjing curled his lips into a meaningful smile. “Then let her come talk to me.”
His silver whip pointed toward Hai Yunshu, standing amidst the chaos.
“I’ll be waiting for you.”
Everyone turned to look at her.
Their gazes were as greedy as souls in hell clinging to life.
Soon after, the heavy gates of the Marquis’s residence groaned shut, sealed with the imperial decree.
Instantly, the Cheng family’s daughters-in-law, trapped within the high walls, burst into loud sobs.
Sanlang’s wife wailed the loudest: “It was clearly Second Brother who caused this disaster. Why should the whole family be dragged down with him?”
The eldest sister-in-law chimed in: “Our Dalang merely socialized with the sons of nobles and had a few extra drinks. How could he be taken away for questioning? Is there no justice anymore?”
“Mother, Silang just finished the imperial examinations. His bright future is right before him. If he’s thrown into prison, it’ll all be over. You must find a way to save him!”
…
“He’s not dead yet! What are you wailing for?”
Old Madame Cheng, after all, was the legitimate daughter of the Loyal and Diligent Count’s household. Having seen the world, she knew how to make decisions and remain composed. After her sharp rebuke, the women dared not chatter recklessly.
Bai Shishi swayed her delicate, willow-like figure and said softly, “Old Madame, don’t be angry just yet. The Prince Regent personally asked for Sister to go. Surely, he’s willing to give us a way out.”
Now, with Jiang Chengjing holding the power of regency and overseeing imperial decrees, the existence or absence of these charges, their confirmation or dismissal, rested entirely on his word.
Old Madame Cheng was shrewd. She knew better than anyone that to use money or influence, she had to rely on this daughter-in-law. She needed to find a way to drag her into this without leaving a trace.
“What are you looking at?”
The Old Madame pointed at Hai Yunshu. “What a scourge. Look at your restless, seductive appearance. With Second Brother barely gone, you dare to flirt with men in public. Shameless creature.”
Sure enough, a torrent of insults followed, aimed at psychologically breaking the other party and seizing the initiative.
In her past life, Hai Yunshu had been the same—submitting to her mother-in-law’s tyranny for half a lifetime. Scolded at every turn, punished after every rebuke.
A perfectly respectable mistress of the Marquis’s household, yet she lived without dignity, neither here nor there.
This time, if Hai Yunshu hadn’t been mentally prepared, she might have been frightened by her.
She would no longer endure baseless accusations, replying, “Mother-in-law, your words make no sense. I neither encouraged my elder brother to form cliques for personal gain nor urged Second Brother to defect to the enemy on the battlefield. How could I possibly be considered a scourge?”
Old Madame Cheng still wanted to corner her: “Do I need to bring up your past with the Jiang family in front of your sisters-in-law and younger sisters-in-law?”