Chapter 62 The Jiang Brothers

“Your Highness the Heir Consort?” Gong Ali, who had just run out blushing, returned respectfully, his face also without a trace of a young man’s shy lust, and asked cautiously, “How is it? Does that official still suspect you?”

Jiang Si shook her head, took off the gold step-sway hairpin inserted in her hair, her thick black hair falling over her crimson brocade clothes, her profile soft yet firm, androgynous.

Ali breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Fortunately, A-Man reacted quickly, sensing that someone was following him, otherwise that official would have barged in directly, and everything we had done before would have been exposed. But that official is really a tough nut to crack. Your Highness has tried to please her many times, yet she remains unmoved.”

Jiang Si laughed coldly, recalling what Qiu Shuzhi had just said.

What harmonious coexistence, with Empress Dowager Qin Qing presiding over the harem, even if Lan Xuezhao was shrewd, he was just an ant that Qin Qing could crush at any time.

The failure of this action was ultimately due to Qiu Shuzhi. Now she not only couldn’t deal with her, but also had to find ways to please her, on one hand to clear herself of suspicion, on the other hand to win her over for her own use.

But this Qiu Shuzhi…

“Qiu Shuzhi looks gentle and pure, but is actually not an easy person to get along with. You all have to be careful in the future. If she catches a single trace, all our previous efforts will be in vain.” Jiang Si’s eyes were fierce.

“Yes.”

“But,” Ali’s eyes turned, “Since this Qiu Shuzhi is such an eyesore, repeatedly ruining our plans, why don’t we secretly get rid of her and eliminate future troubles?”

Jiang Si laughed lightly, her enchanting eyes dangerously narrowed, “Qiu Shuzhi is not as easy to deal with as you think. Do you know who’s behind her?”

Ali pondered for a moment and said, “There are rumors in the palace that she is the Empress Dowager’s favorite, is the minister under the Empress Dowager’s dress.”

She glanced at him indifferently and said slowly, “How naive, the Empress Dowager is just a front.”

Jiang Si still remembered that day on the painted boat, when Yue Guanyi barged into her boat in a state, staring at that dancer.

Resentment and jealousy were like slow-fermenting poison in the cellar, the sour smell of the drug permeating the entire cabin, stirring up a secret, silent, terrifying wave, beneath which was a gloomy, resentful, eye-splitting, and almost morbidly possessive desire.

Such repressed, enduring, and inexpressible emotions could deceive women, but not a fellow man like him.

He was too familiar with such emotions. In his childhood, every moment he could see them in his almost insane father.

In order to fight for the meager favor of his heartless mother among the countless beauties in the prince’s mansion, the noble Miao sacred son lost even his dignity, even willing to sacrifice the future of the entire tribe to please her.

But even so, what his Dian Wang mother loved most was still her throne.

Mother liked daughters, but father gave birth to three sons in a row. Seeing that he was about to lose favor, even the bed-warming servant who gave birth to a daughter could ride on his head and act arrogantly. He actually told a huge lie, falsely claiming that he was a daughter.

Thinking of living an ambiguous life dressed as a woman for so many years, he hated it.

He hated that brainless father who only knew how to fight for favor and couldn’t live without women; hated that eternally high-ranking, heartless mother who abandoned him in the capital where enemies were everywhere and he could lose his life at any time.

He laughed mockingly at his own pitiful fate, his beautiful lips red like blood. No matter if this throne belonged to the Qin family, Yue family, or Jiang family in the future, Jiang Si was destined to be a sacrifice.

The lingering threat brought by the assassin kept hovering over the hunting ground. Even during the day, the hunting ground was cold and desolate.

At night, the strong wind howled like ghosts and wolves, sounding like the crying and wailing of vengeful spirits, the shrill sound always reminding people of the desperate screams of Jing Gui Ren before her death.

In the latter half of the night, the wind grew stronger and stronger, tearing more and more fiercely, almost tearing the tents apart.

The strong wind made Ji Mei’s clothes flap loudly. She narrowed her eyes that could barely open and sighed, “The weather on the grasslands really changes in an instant. The wind howls like ghosts, sounding quite scary.”

Qiu Shuzhi dismounted and returned to the tent.

Seeing that she didn’t speak, Ji Mei went over and said in a low voice, “Do you know, my lord, it is said that this sudden change in weather is because Jing Gui Ren has come back to seek revenge.”

Qiu Shuzhi, who was about to take off her clothes, paused, frowning, “Don’t talk nonsense. Where did this news come from?”

“It’s spreading in the army and among the palace servants in the harem, making people panic. Haven’t you seen that no one dared to go out today? They’re all hiding in their tents for fear of running into ghosts!” Ji Mei said convincingly.

Qiu Shuzhi never believed in gods and ghosts. Even though she had experienced transmigration, she still firmly believed in science.

“Only the guilty fear gods and ghosts.”

“That’s right, someone should feel guilty.” Ji Mei looked meaningfully at the extinguished main tent, “Before dying, Jing Gui Ren kept shouting that she would not let Rong Fei off even as a ghost. If she becomes a vengeful spirit, she will definitely seek revenge on Rong Fei first.”

She said with assurance, “Generally, the more miserable the death, the more powerful the vengeful spirit. Lingchi, tsk tsk, what a cruel way to die. If Jing Gui Ren really becomes a ghost, Rong Fei will definitely be the first one she won’t let off.”

Qiu Shuzhi fiercely hit Ji Mei’s helmet with her horsewhip, “If you continue spreading rumors and fearmongering in the army, I will deal with you according to military law.”

Ji Mei quickly pursed her lips, chuckling, “Have a good rest, my lord. This subordinate is leaving now.”

With that, she dashed out.

Qiu Shuzhi lightly tapped the wooden door frame with her fingers, looking at the overwhelming darkness outside the tent, her heart sinking… Jing Gui Ren was also a wronged ghost who died miserably.

She sighed deeply. Her body, originally tired from patrolling all night, lost the thought of going back to sleep after thinking of Jing Gui Ren.

She simply rode her horse into the hunting ground.

The night was deep and immeasurable, like a huge mouth silently baring its fangs, waiting for its prey to arrive.

“Wuwuwu… The debt has its debtor. Don’t come to me for revenge!” A delicate, timid voice came from the darkness, the strong wind cutting his voice into pieces, but one could still hear a trace of fear in his words.

Qiu Shuzhi’s brows paused. She dismounted and walked in, following the sound.

In the pitch-black night, a slender, delicate body wrapped in a black cloak, the silver bells on his wrists ringing in the wind, the sparks of fire shining on his frightened, pale face, his eyes full of bright flames.

Qiu Shuzhi quietly approached.

She saw him digging a hole in the ground with his hands, a pair of hands that had never done heavy work, even his nails trimmed exquisitely, digging in the soil without any skill, his hands covered in dirt.

He looked at his own hands with distress, feeling very aggrieved.

The strong wind suddenly blew past him from behind. He shuddered in fright, no longer caring about pitying his hands, digging desperately.

When he had dug enough, he took out some things from his bosom and buried them inside.

Qiu Shuzhi looked closely. It turned out to be some candied fruits.

“I heard you Central Plains people use paper money for offerings, but I really couldn’t find any. Just make do with fruits, they taste quite good too…”

“Oh right, I also brought gold, silver, and pearls. They’re all here for you. You shouldn’t have to worry about food and drink down there… Reincarnate well, can you not come to me, please?”

“I didn’t mean to. Don’t come to me.”

“If I don’t do it, I’ll be the next poison slave. I don’t want to be a poison slave.”

Qiu Shuzhi frowned. Was he making offerings to Jing Gui Ren?

She suddenly recalled Ji Mei’s words in her mind. Jing Gui Ren had indeed said she would seek revenge on him before dying.

Ancient people were very superstitious. Plus, with the changing weather these past few days, Lan Xuezhao should indeed feel guilty… But what was a poison slave?

The strong wind screamed in his ears like a vengeful spirit. Lan Xuezhao’s pretty, charming little face had paled with fright. He started crying softly like a child.

“The one who ordered the lingchi was that dog empress. What does it have to do with me? I didn’t expect her to be so ruthless either. Y-you go to her!”

“I’m just… Everyone in the palace is like this. If you don’t bully others, others will bully you. I just wanted to protect myself.”

“But I really didn’t expect the dog empress to be so vicious. The debt has its debtor. Go to him, not me, not me. Please, when I return, I will enshrine you in a temple, provide you with incense and fire, let you reincarnate soon. Amitabha! Amitabha!”

He clasped his hands together like the people of the Central Plains, eyes tightly shut in fear, muttering to himself.

Although that night, Lan Xuezhao’s words were all directed at Jing Gui Ren, he was not wrong. The one who gave the order was the young emperor. If there was really a soul, the first one Jing Gui Ren should look for should also be the young emperor, followed by him who added fuel to the fire.

But compared to the young emperor, being able to confess in a place with no one around, this enchanting consort Lan Xuezhao was not too bad, at least not as bad as an “enchanting consort”.

But what was a poison slave?

Qiu Shuzhi lowered her eyes in thought. It seemed this had something to do with the Dian Wang.

But… dog empress?

Qiu Shuzhi was a little surprised.

After entering the palace, Lan Xuezhao had always been very favored. In addition, his somewhat domineering and willful personality was very disliked by the other consorts in the palace. The young emperor was willing to love and favor him. He should have been grateful and held onto this thigh properly. How come, judging from his tone, he seemed to dislike the young emperor very much?

Forget it. Harem affairs were not something she should meddle in.

She quietly withdrew.

Just as she walked to where the horses were tied and mounted her horse, she suddenly heard a scream behind her, and a panicked figure ran out from inside.

When Lan Xuezhao rushed out, he happened to see Qiu Shuzhi. Without thinking, he ran over and grabbed her saddle.

“Rong Fei? Why are you here?” Since they had run into each other, she simply pretended to have just arrived.

“There are ghosts, ghosts! Lord Qiu, take me away quickly!” Lan Xuezhao’s voice trembled, his red eyes like a frightened little rabbit, vastly different from his usual enchanting, domineering, and invincible appearance.