Chapter 222: Silencing (2)
Jiang Li had no idea that Ye You had spiked both glasses of wine with a strong dose of “Spring Breeze Crossing” to ensure success. Regardless of whether Jiang Ruan had switched the wine cups or not, she would still be affected!
However, she had been in the bridal chamber the whole time. It made sense for Zuo Jiang to be there, but why was Ye You present as well?
The loud sound of the slap not only woke Jiang Li up but also made Ye You realize what had happened. Everything had been going smoothly when he caught Jiang Ruan yesterday, but then Xiao Shao and his men arrived. Xiao Shao looked terrifying, and after that… Ye You couldn’t remember anything else. He woke up on Zuo Jiang’s bed.
Ye You knew that Xiao Shao must have been responsible for this. But since Xiao Shao hadn’t tried to kill him, Ye You felt relieved. Although he was frustrated that Jiang Ruan had escaped, he didn’t have the courage to go against Xiao Shao.
He shamelessly looked at Zuo Jiang and Jiang Li, furrowing his brow. It seemed that the madness of last night had involved Jiang Li. Well, at least she was attractive. Ye You stretched lazily and said, “Miss Jiang, or should I say Lady Zuo now? Thank you for your hospitality last night. This Prince is quite satisfied.”
Zuo Jiang clenched his fists, filled with anger. The screams of the wet nurse and the maidservant had attracted many onlookers. The rowdy guests from the wedding banquet, who had gotten drunk, ended up resting at the assistant minister’s residence. They had all rushed over to see what had happened, and now there was a crowd at the door. What a joke it was!
On the first night with his newlywed wife, she had engaged in intimate activities with another man, and he was there to witness it. If this got out, people would think Zuo Jiang had peculiar preferences. His reputation and dignity were completely ruined! Zuo Jiang couldn’t understand how things had turned out like this. It should have been Jiang Ruan who had enjoyed a night of pleasure with Ye You. Since Ye You was present now, it meant that Jiang Ruan must have escaped unharmed. When the news reached the palace, the imperial concubine would surely blame him for his incompetence.
However, Zuo Jiang couldn’t afford to worry about Consort Chen at the moment. The current situation left him in a dilemma. If he let Ye You go, the people of the capital would condemn him the next day, and the imperial censors would undoubtedly make a fuss about it. But if he held onto Ye You… This whole situation was orchestrated by Consort Chen, so how could he go against Ye You now? Zuo Jiang deeply regretted his decision to help Ye You get Jiang Ruan, and even if he had agreed, why did it have to be on his wedding day? Although he didn’t like Jiang Li, she held the title of the assistant minister’s wife, and divorcing her at this moment would damage his reputation. But by staying married, the carefully crafted image of a loving and righteous couple would be destroyed!
Zuo Jiang gritted his teeth as he watched Ye You confidently leave in his well-dressed attire. Ye You was never afraid of public opinion, so he remained carefree. Left behind, Zuo Jiang had to face all kinds of gossip alone. Frustrated, he looked at Jiang Li, who appeared lost and terrified, and couldn’t help but kick her: “You wretch!”
Jiang Li flinched in fear and recoiled. Even if she had been foolish, she now understood that she had lost her virtue in front of Zuo Jiang. Despite holding the title of the assistant minister’s wife, she knew that she would never regain her husband’s respect and affection in this lifetime.
More and more people gathered outside the new residence of the assistant minister. Two figures emerged from the crowd, one dressed as a wet nurse and the other as a maidservant. They were Jin San and Jin Si.
Jin San glanced at Jin Si and asked, “Was my shout loud enough just now?”
Jin Si nodded, “It was good enough.”
The two exchanged a smile. It was only the beginning. When the master was angered, it would undoubtedly lead to chaos in the capital. The assistant minister’s residence had only lost face for now, but the aftermath would involve everyone, and no one would be able to escape. Those who deserved punishment would face it, and as for the one in the palace, there would be no escape.
Angering Xiao Shao never ended well. The nobles in the capital of the Great Jin Dynasty had become too complacent and had long forgotten about the consequences of their actions. This was an opportunity to reveal the truth and see if the legends were indeed true.
Ye You returned to his residence singing a song. After the intense night, he went straight to his room. As he lay on the bed, he felt a bit thirsty and casually grabbed the tea from the nearby table, drinking it all in one gulp.
“Spring Breeze Crossing” truly lived up to its reputation as the best aphrodisiac. Even after a night of madness, he still felt restless deep inside. Ye You decided to get up and find a concubine to satisfy his desires. However, as he was about to leave the room, his footsteps suddenly halted. Since he had returned to the residence until now, no one had come to greet him. The servants, maids, and all the beautiful women in the house were nowhere to be found. The entire residence was enveloped in an eerie silence, devoid of any signs of life.
Ye You’s heart skipped a beat. He stood at the doorway, the previous restlessness fading away, replaced by a sense of foreboding. He called out a few times, “Xiao Li, Xiao Li!”
There was no response from the servants, and no one in the entire residence answered him. It was as if the estate was empty. Fearful of what he might find, Ye You didn’t dare to rush out. Instead, he walked to the window and looked outside. He was greeted by a horrifying sight—a large expanse of red spreading from below the window.
Startled, Ye You took two steps back, accidentally knocking over the screen behind him. As the screen fell, a lifeless body collapsed to the ground. Ye You let out a scream. The person lying on the ground was Xiao Li, his personal servant, covered in blood.
Ye You’s scalp tingled, and he immediately tried to rush out of the room to escape. But before he could move, the front door was forcefully kicked open from the outside, revealing two expressionless men dressed in black standing at the entrance.
“Who are you? Help! I am a prince. What do you want?” Ye You panicked. The two men approached him, and moments later, a scream echoed from inside the room.
…
On the second day of the marriage between Left Assistant Minister Jiang and Miss Zhou, rumors began to circulate throughout the city. One rumor suggested that despite Left Assistant Minister Jiang appearing to be a virtuous and loving man, he had some unsavory habits of engaging in intimate activities with his wife in the presence of others. While it is not uncommon for individuals to have their own preferences, this behavior was considered highly immoral, especially because Miss Zhou was the legitimate wife. The rumor implied that Left Assistant Minister Jiang willingly accepted the metaphorical “green hat” (a symbol of being cuckolded), choosing neither to divorce his wife nor confront the adulterous prince.
As a result of these rumors, Miss Zhou found it difficult to face the public. She secluded herself indoors, afraid to venture outside. Even the servants in the Jiang household began to cast judgmental looks at her, not to mention Left Assistant Minister Jiang, who would often resort to physical abuse and verbal scolding. Life became extremely challenging for her. Jiang Quan, due to his connection with Miss Zhou, grew furious, and the court officials held him in low regard. The imperial censors filed a memorial accusing the Jiang household of causing chaos and criticized Jiang Quan for his poor parenting skills.
If these events were not already shocking enough, what followed caused a tremendous uproar in the capital: the death of Ye You.
Ye You was found dead in his own residence. Every member of the household had been brutally slaughtered, leaving no survivors. Ye You’s demise was particularly gruesome, with his body dismembered and his head missing. If it weren’t for his clothing and official seal, no one would have been able to identify him. The brutality of the attack led people to speculate that it was the result of revenge from Ye You’s enemies. The authorities dispatched investigators to look into the matter, but unfortunately, no progress had been made.
(End of this chapter)