After my husband and sister-in-law had a child, they forced me to take the blame and go to prison for them. In this life, I turned around and joined forces with a powerful official to send their entire family to hell.
“Jinshu, Yunyan is physically weak. As her elder sister-in-law, you must protect her.”
“Remember, it was you and the Young Master of Yongning Marquisate who accidentally collided, causing him to fall into the pond.”
“You and Yunyan have similar figures, and today you are wearing the same color of clothing. You have Princess Chang protecting you; at most, the Marchioness of Yongning will scold you a few times, and the matter will pass.”
The man before her droned on incessantly, and Jiang Jinshu felt a splitting headache.
Seeing her sitting there with a deep frown, Shen Nanxing stepped forward displeasurably and grabbed her wrist.
“Jiang Jinshu, have you heard a word I said?”
“If you take responsibility for this today, I will naturally compensate you in the future.”
Only then did Jiang Jinshu react. Heaven had finally opened its eyes; she had finally returned.
She had returned to the day of the banquet at the Prime Minister’s manor, the day Shen Nanxing asked her to take the fall for Su Yunyan.
In her previous life, she had been blind and foolish, devoting her entire heart to Shen Nanxing.
Coupled with the fact that her parents had died on the battlefield, leaving her with no one to rely on, she had even become estranged from her maternal grandmother’s family under her mother-in-law’s instigation.
The Shen family had sucked her dry, using her dowry to support their entire household, only to eventually plot for her to take the blame for Su Yunyan.
Once she was in prison, the Shen family used her dowry to pave the way for Shen Nanxing’s career, helping him rise from a minor fourth-rank general to a second-rank general.
Ultimately, because Shen Nanxing opened the city gates for Prince Qi’s rebellion, he earned the merit of “assisting the dragon” and was enfeoffed as a Prince of a different surname.
After ten years in prison, what awaited her upon her release was not the affection of the husband she had longed for, nor the position of Princess Consort, but the sight of her husband and Su Yunyan—who had always called her ‘sister-in-law’—already having a son and daughter.
In a fit of rage, she spat blood and fainted. When she woke up, she found herself locked in a woodshed, where she eventually starved to death.
Heh. A Prince of a different surname? Does a rebel deserve such a title?
Since Heaven had let her return, she would send everyone who bullied her to hell.
If she didn’t grind the Shen family’s bones to ashes, she would be wasting the opportunity Heaven gave her.
Seeing that Jiang Jinshu remained silent as if in a daze, Shen Nanxing’s brow furrowed even deeper, his expression growing more displeased.
At this moment, Su Yunyan’s eyes filled with tears. She reached out piteously to pull on Shen Nanxing’s sleeve.
“Brother, if Sister-in-law is unwilling, then let it be. We shouldn’t force her. Let Yunyan go and confess to the Marchioness. At worst, someone of my lowly status will just be beaten. It’s just that Yunyan’s body is frail; I fear I will make Mother worry again…”
Her voice trailed off at the end, tears falling one by one.
With one hand, she used a handkerchief to dab the tears from the corners of her eyes, while the other rested on her lower abdomen. She looked as though she had suffered a great injustice, making one’s heart ache for her.
Seeing this, Shen Nanxing felt all the more that Jiang Jinshu was being unreasonable. Her parents had died for the country, and Princess Chang was close to her mother; no matter what, the Princess would protect her.
He had come before her and spoken so much to coax her, yet why was she still so senseless, failing to consider the bigger picture?
“Jiang Jinshu, the husband is the guide for the wife; the husband is the wife’s heaven. For you to act like this…”
Jiang Jinshu suddenly looked up and raised an eyebrow with a smile.
“The wife is the guide for the husband; if the husband is unrighteous, the wife may remarry. Was the second half of that sentence eaten by a dog?”
Shen Nanxing was momentarily speechless, stifled by this sudden retort. He hadn’t expected the usually rabbit-docile Jiang Jinshu to talk back like this today.
Su Yunyan was also stunned, tears still clinging to her lashes, looking both surprised and innocent.
“Jiang Jinshu, why must you be so aggressive? You clearly know that Yunyan’s status is special. She doesn’t have Princess Chang to protect her like you do. If the Marchioness finds out it was Yunyan who accidentally bumped the Young Master into the water, it definitely won’t be as simple as a few scoldings. If you take the blame first, Princess Chang will protect you, and I will plead for you. When that time comes…”
Jiang Jinshu slowly stood up, her cold gaze sweeping over the two people before her as she sneered inwardly.
In her previous life, she had truly been blind and foolish to believe such full-of-holes reasoning.
However, now was not the time to argue with them. She remembered that in her past life, the Young Master of Yongning Marquisate had passed away at a young age because he wasn’t treated in time.
Because of that, she had been burdened with a death on her hands and nearly paid for his life with her own. It was only because Princess Chang stepped in to protect her that her sentence was changed to imprisonment.
“I will go see the Marchioness of Yongning first.”
Shen Nanxing was momentarily taken aback. How did she agree again?
“At least you are sensible. Jinshu, don’t worry, I will definitely plead your case later…”
Jiang Jinshu snapped sharply, “Shut up. If you want me to take care of this, then stop barking like a dog and wasting my time.”
Shen Nanxing’s heart jolted at her icy tone. He realized the Jiang Jinshu before him seemed vastly different from the one he knew. Those eyes, which used to be full of affection, now held an unquestionable resolve and distance.
Before he could react, Jiang Jinshu had already walked away at a brisk pace.
Seeing Shen Nanxing dazed, Su Yunyan followed and pulled on his arm.
“Brother, will Sister-in-law really help me? Is she angry? It’s all Yunyan’s fault…”
Shen Nanxing was busy comforting Su Yunyan and didn’t think further on Jiang Jinshu’s attitude. Forget it, this was her only use.
“Yan’er, do not fear. Since she promised, she won’t dare go back on it. Moreover, I won’t give her the chance to regret it. Today, she has to take the blame, whether she wants to or not.”
Meanwhile, the Madam of the Prime Minister watched with anxiety as the physician treated the Young Master of Yongning Marquisate. Although the maid said a lady in green had pushed him, the incident had happened in her manor after all.
The Marchioness of Yongning sat by the bed, her eyes filled with desperation as she looked at her son, tears rolling down her face.
“Imperial Physician Liu, how is the Young Master?”
Imperial Physician Liu shook his head.
“Marchioness, please prepare the funeral arrangements. This old official’s skills are superficial; I cannot save him. He was pulled out of the water too late; it is too late.”
Hearing this, the Marchioness of Yongning felt as if her world had collapsed. This was her only son.
“No! Imperial Physician Liu, please think of something, I beg of you!”
The Marchioness cried out hoarsely, nearly collapsing before the physician, only to be hurriedly supported by her attendants and maids.
Suddenly, a voice rang out.
“Marchioness, the Young Master might still be saved.”
The Marchioness of Yongning and the Madam of the Prime Minister were both startled, looking toward the door in unison.
They saw Jiang Jinshu walking in calmly.
How could someone who had already stopped breathing still be saved? To Imperial Physician Liu, this sounded like someone was questioning his medical skills. He spoke displeasurably.
“Young Madam Shen, the dead cannot be brought back to life. Why give the Marchioness hope only to let her be disappointed?”
Jiang Jinshu approached the bed, glanced at the Young Master’s complexion, ignored the physician, and looked at the Marchioness.
“Madam, do you also believe the Young Master is beyond saving? I was fortunate enough to learn the Thirteen Life-Prolonging Needles from a divine doctor. Madam, do you truly not want to try?”
Upon hearing this, Imperial Physician Liu immediately interjected.
“Utter nonsense! Only the Ghost Doctor knows the Thirteen Life-Prolonging Needles, and the Ghost Doctor travels far and wide. How could…”
Jiang Jinshu’s brow furrowed. “Marchioness, any further delay will truly make it impossible to bring him back.”
Since Imperial Physician Liu had already said he couldn’t be saved, the Marchioness looked at Jiang Jinshu’s calm demeanor, and a flicker of hope ignited in her eyes.
“Even if there is only a sliver of hope, I must try.”
Seeing that she was completely ignoring him, Imperial Physician Liu became even more displeased.
“This is simply preposterous…”
Jiang Jinshu looked at him and said slowly, “Does Imperial Physician Liu not wish to witness the Thirteen Life-Prolonging Needles?”
A cup of tea later.
Shen Nanxing, who had arrived with Su Yunyan, saw the silently weeping Marchioness and hurriedly cupped his hands.
“Marchioness, it is all my wife’s fault for being ignorant and pushing the Young Master into the water. Rest assured, our Shen family will never shield her. You may dispose of her as you wish; even if it means her life for the Young Master’s, the Shen family will not mind.”
Su Yunyan spoke with a face full of guilt on the side.
“Marchioness, Madam, it’s all Yunyan’s fault. I should have stayed by Sister-in-law’s side today; then she wouldn’t have made such a grave mistake. How could Sister-in-law be so petty with a child like the Young Master? Marchioness, Yunyan apologizes on behalf of Sister-in-law. Please, do not blame her too much.”
Jiang Jinshu calmly withdrew the silver needles from the Young Master’s body and slowly stood up. To facilitate the acupuncture just now, she had been half-kneeling.
“I have truly seen shamelessness before, but never to this extent. One lies through his teeth, the other distorts black and white. You two truly are a bitch and a dog—a match made in heaven.”