newbobooks Chapter 273 Raising the Coffin and Distributing Materials
Chapter 273 Raising the Coffin and Distributing Materials
Scorching sun.
Take a nap in the afternoon.
Jiang Zijin lay on her back on the couch with her eyes half-closed.
Even with two maids fanning her, it couldn't relieve the heat and irritability in her heart.
Her mind was racing at that moment.
Just for two things.
She disliked her current status as a child, unable to ask questions, unable to do anything, and having to convey all her ideas through her mother.
Everything is only known in the end.
Everyone treated her like a child, and she could only act in a way that suited her age.
Just now.
If her mother hadn't let it slip, she wouldn't have known the assassination attempt had failed.
Little did they know that the mother and her children were actually returning to the capital, and that they would arrive in the capital in less than seven days.
My maternal grandfather in my previous life was very decisive and efficient in his actions.
They have never lost a game.
But now, despite sending out so many men, he has repeatedly allowed several women and children to escape from his grasp.
She even wondered if that woman had three heads and six arms.
Jiang Zijin quickly fiddled with the prayer beads in her hand.
As the beads were moved more and more slowly, her mood gradually calmed down.
Perhaps there is still room for maneuver in this matter.
She is not a narrow-minded person.
She didn't necessarily want Lu Qingyao dead; she just wanted her to divorce her father, leave the Jiang family, and not get in her or her mother's way.
She considered the matter over.
But Mother also said that Prince Su had rebelled.
If she remembered correctly, the Prince of Su in her previous life did not rebel so quickly, but a year later.
The Crown Prince was critically ill several times, and the Empress searched far and wide for famous doctors to treat him, but it was all in vain, only prolonging his life by a few more months.
At the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet that year.
The Crown Princess and the Crown Prince died of poisoning, and the Crown Prince, overwhelmed with grief and anger, tragically followed his wife and children in death.
Afterwards, a palace servant identified that the poison was made by Prince Su, and all the evidence pointed to him.
Prince Su naturally refused to admit it, but with witnesses and physical evidence to prove it, he had no way to defend himself.
Driven to desperation, they rebelled.
They quickly marched south, reaching the capital city.
The court officials then realized that Prince Su had long harbored rebellious intentions and had been secretly training troops and stockpiling grain in his fiefdom.
The mother and son had always been at odds with Empress Cao and had long intended to get rid of her.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Prince Chen volunteered to go with Duke Shen to quell the rebellion, hoping to make a name for himself and pave the way for the future.
The northern part of Daqing was in chaos for three years, and the fighting lasted for three years.
After three years, all the rebel forces within the territory of Daliang were finally wiped out.
On New Year's Eve that year, the army returned in triumph, and Prince Chen made great contributions, becoming the most popular candidate for crown prince among the people.
However, on the very day that Prince Chen was made crown prince.
The female physician Feng, who had poisoned the crown prince and committed suicide, miraculously came back to life and had a confession and evidence submitted to the Censorate and the Court of Judicial Review.
They claimed that Prince Chen was the real culprit who poisoned the Crown Prince and his family of three.
The case of the Crown Prince has been brought up again.
The poison was extracted and refined from herbs in the Prince Chen's back garden. The herbs came from the southern border, and the evidence, including witnesses and physical evidence, even described the process of poisoning in detail, implicating many imperial physicians and palace servants.
It was all because of that female doctor who suddenly appeared.
All of Chen Wang's efforts were in vain, and all his painstaking planning failed at the last moment.
That's how people are. It may be difficult to build a thousand-mile-long dike, but it's very easy to destroy it, often requiring only a tiny ant hole.
Although she sided with Prince Jing at the time, she also felt sorry for him.
That Prince Chen could be considered a hero, and he had even been interested in her.
In her previous life, she had met Prince Jing and Prince Chen once during the Lantern Festival the following year.
After the fall of Prince Chen.
Although His Majesty also has other princes who have just come of age, and Prince Jing's reputation is not high, he is, after all, the legitimate prince.
With the full support of the Liang King, the Qi family, and the Mu family, the Jing King successfully ascended to the position of Crown Prince, and she took this opportunity to enter the Eastern Palace.
But why is everything happening ahead of schedule in this life?
Completely different.
No, she couldn't let things continue like this.
Jiang Zijin suddenly sat up and walked to the table.
He picked up a brush and began writing the names of the relevant people on the rice paper.
Prince Su rebelled, but with the help of Prince Chen and Duke Shen to quell the rebellion, it ultimately failed to gain any real power.
As for King Jing, her husband in her previous life, he was either engrossed in composing poems about mountains and rivers or frequenting brothels to listen to music.
He's definitely a carefree prince.
In his previous life, if it weren't for the help of the King of Liang and the Qi family, it wouldn't have been so easy for him to become the crown prince, given his status as the eldest son.
It will take some effort, or perhaps he will go to the underworld to join his brother.
But the strange thing is.
Given another chance, fate seemed less kind to him.
Jiang Zijin's lips curved slightly, and she felt a sudden sense of relief.
The current King of Liang is practically a cripple, and his half-grown prince and virtuous Queen Consort are no threat at all.
The Cui family never participates in factional struggles.
Without the Qi family and the Prince of Liang, Prince Jing could only rely on the Empress's maternal family and the Mu family.
Mu Qianxue's older brother and sister.
The Mu family, Mu Yunji...
Scenes from my memory flashed through my mind.
Yes……
It is Mu Yunji, Duke of Shen.
The person who killed her in her past life and pushed her off the high platform.
It's him, it must be him.
The man with the knife scar in her dream.
Looking back now, he must have known the cause of Mu Qianxue's death and came to avenge his sister.
Jiang Zijin suddenly trembled all over, and the brush fell from her hand.
This person... absolutely cannot be allowed to live.
In this life, King Jing treats her like a stranger, and doesn't even want to look at her.
All she felt for King Jing was resentment—resentment for his hypocrisy, his sanctimonious appearance, and the fact that he had deceived her for a lifetime.
Now that there are no vested interests involved, and with that girl Jiang Miaomiao interfering, it will be no easy task to change Prince Jing's opinion of him.
But Prince Chen was different; in his previous life, Prince Chen had been infatuated with her.
In his previous life, he was defeated, defeated by that female doctor surnamed Feng, and defeated by his arrogance.
If we can find Physician Feng now, we might be able to turn the tide.
The Prince of Chen's birth mother was of humble origin and had no maternal family to rely on. Even the princess he married was not from a high-ranking family. If the two families of Jiang and Qi formed an alliance, with her participation, the result would surely be twice as good with half the effort.
As for the position of principal wife, if she wanted it, it would be within her grasp.
The key to the alliance was that female healer.
Jiang Zijin shook Qi Caiwei awake, who was taking a nap in the inner room. "Mother, I want to find someone from the Imperial Medical Bureau."
"Who is it?" Qi Caiwei rubbed her temples impatiently.
"I want to know where Physician Feng's ancestral home is, whether she still has any family, and who she usually associates with?"
She wanted to see if she could find any clues from it.
Qi Caiwei asked in surprise, "Doctor Feng? Why are you looking for her family?"
The Imperial Medical Bureau only had a few female doctors. When she was still a young girl, her father had invited her to his home to examine the ladies and concubines of the Qi family, and she had also visited her mother's courtyard.
So she still had some recollection of it.
"Mother, please don't ask anymore. I will tell you after it's all done," Jiang Zijin said, clinging to her mother's arm affectionately.
Now that her younger brother is no longer a support, her mother dotes on her completely.
Mother's mood has improved a lot recently.
Because every time I went to my grandmother's house, I could see her acting like a proper mother-in-law, giving Aunt Tao a real treat.
Mother is very perceptive and always tries to mediate.
Jiang Zijin herself also liked to visit Xiao Zishu when she had nothing to do.
As a result, the relationship between Mother and Father improved considerably.
Even the news of Lu Qingyao's return to the capital didn't have much of an impact on her.
……
The Shen State Duke's Mansion in the capital.
"Stop right there, you brat!"
Mu Jiangyue was chasing her son, jumping up and down with a feather duster in her hand.
"Yan Cheng'an, stop! One...two...three..."
"Your mother promises not to hit you."
Once they caught up with him, they naturally gave him a good beating.
She rarely goes back to her parents' home, and this little guy is still causing her a lot of trouble.
Upon seeing his uncle's new pet fish, a group of small koi, he said he wanted to feed them.
You fed the fish, but you ended up feeding yourself in the tank and even killed the little koi.
Mu Jiangyue could only take advantage of the time before her elder brother left the court to quickly replenish the fish for him.
My brother is something else. Such a big guy, yet he likes to keep such small fish. It's a miracle that they can even survive.
I just put the fish I bought back in its original place.
Then a servant came to report: Madam Jiang and her young master and mistress were ambushed multiple times on their way back to the capital and nearly lost their lives. It was said that it was that concubine who did it...
"What? Someone wants to kill Yao Yao?"
Mu Jiangyue pulled out a whip from her waist and stormed out with the guards.
Mu Qianxue stopped her, "Second sister, what are you going to do?"
"Don't stop me, I'm going to kill that scoundrel Jiang Yunze and Qi Caiwei. How dare they lay a hand on Yao Yao and her child."
"Don't be impulsive, calm down. Killing won't solve anything," Mu Qianxue advised.
My older sister has a fiery temper; she's easily provoked.
However, she wasn't without reason; otherwise, her husband, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, would probably have arrested her, his wife.
Mu Jiangyue's expression softened slightly, and she patted her sister's shoulder. "Alright, I'm not going to the Jiang family. I'm going to the coffin shop. Keep an eye on Yan Cheng'an for me and make sure he doesn't touch that fish again."
A coffin shop?
"Second sister, what are you doing at the coffin shop? Tomorrow is the Ghost Festival, don't go to places like that..."
Before Mu Qianxue could finish speaking, her sister had already ridden her horse and disappeared into the alley.
She immediately had a bad feeling.
Someone is probably going to be in trouble.
Second Sister and Sister Qingyao grew up in the Northern Frontier and were as close as sisters. How could they stand by and watch her be bullied by others?
Although my second sister has a wild nature, she is also a person who knows her limits.
Never mind, she should go back and take care of the baby.
Day two.
It coincides with the annual Ullambana Festival.
On this day, people worship their ancestors, burn paper money and paper clothes, release river lanterns, and pray for a good harvest and to ward off evil spirits.
Madam Jiang was a devout believer in ghosts and gods, and she began preparing sacrificial items and things to be burned a month in advance.
Of course, most of these things were prepared by Tao Tao, the dutiful aunt.
Customs vary from place to place, but Tao Tao followed the customs of Jiangzhou.
This was the only time that Madam Jiang was satisfied.
At times like these, Qi Caiwei and her daughter would fawn over Old Madam Jiang.
Then we heard Steward Wang report that Madam Yan had come to deliver a gift.
"Which Mrs. Yan?" Qi Caiwei didn't remember having a friend with the surname Yan, and besides, who would give a gift on such an occasion? She really didn't know any manners.
Madam Jiang's eyes lit up. "What gift should we give?"
Steward Wang looked troubled and stammered, "It's...it's the wife of Lord Yan, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review...Madam, you should go and see for yourself. The head of the family has already gone ahead."
Mu Jiangyue rode a tall horse, leading the Duke's mansion's soldiers, and stopped in front of the Jiang residence, blocking the road completely.
Passersby stopped to watch.
Wow, what kind of deep-seated grudge could lead someone to send a coffin to their doorstep during the Ghost Festival?
This isn't deliberately cursing someone to death, or attracting evil spirits to the Jiang family.
Jiang Yunze took leave today and did not attend court; he accompanied his mother to perform the sacrificial rites.
He had just opened his eyes when he heard that someone had come to deliver a gift and insisted that he personally accept it before they would stop. He also had a vague feeling that they were there to cause trouble.
After all, normal people don't give gifts during the Ghost Festival, especially not so early in the morning.
The moment I stepped out the door, I saw a dark mass of coffins at the entrance and lost my footing, stumbling backward.
Qi Caiwei rushed out and bumped right into him.
I almost tripped and fell.
The couple were helped up by the servants. Once they were steady, they could see who had come and the coffin on the ground.
Jiang Yunze straightened his clothes before questioning Mu Jiangyue, "Madam Yan, my Jiang family has no grudges or enemies with you recently or in the past. Your behavior is simply too much."
Mu Jiangyue rode up to him, saying, "You have no grudge against me, but what about Qingyao, your lawfully wedded wife? You heartless wretch! Even tigers don't eat their cubs! You conspired with your concubine to murder your wife and children, and embezzled your family fortune. This is an outrage against heaven..."
"What do you mean, murder your wife and children? What nonsense are you spouting?"
Jiang Yunze finally understood that Mu Jiangyue was standing up for Lu Qingyao.
Mu Jiangyue glanced at him sideways and pointed at Qi Caiwei, "Jiang Yunze, what are you pretending for? On the way back to the capital with the children, the Qi family sent a lot of assassins to intercept Yao Yao and the children and kill them. They didn't want them to return to the capital. Don't tell me you didn't know."
Jiang Yunze trembled and hurriedly walked to the coffin, but dared not approach it, asking, "Is...is it them?"
After all, they were husband and wife, and he did have feelings for Qingyao, but he hated her ruthlessness and decisiveness.
Even though he hated her, he didn't want her to die.
And the children, they are his own flesh and blood, the future pillars of the Jiang family, how could he possibly harm them?
"What nonsense are you talking about? Yao Yao and her son are blessed with good fortune, how could they die so easily? This coffin is for you." Mu Jiangyue didn't care who he was putting on a sad act for, and directly had the coffin carried into the Jiang family's house.
The Mu family's guards were all tall and strong, and the Jiang family's servants couldn't stop them at all.
Jiang Yunze stood there blankly, like a gourd with its mouth sawed off, his face darker than a coffin lid.
Qi Caiwei glanced timidly at Jiang Yunze, then recklessly stepped forward to stop Mu Jiangyue, "You shrew, get these things out of here right now, or else..."
"How about otherwise?"
"To sue an official? Go to the Dali Temple."
"Want to kill me? Come on."
Mu Jiangyue crossed her arms and looked at her with an air of "What can you do about it?"
Qi Caiwei was so angry that she jumped up and down, her face was almost burning red, and her palms were bleeding from scratching.
"You...you...you shrew."
Mu Jiangyue's reputation as a shrew was well-known throughout the capital. This was the first time Jiang Yunze and Qi Caiwei had encountered someone so unreasonable, and someone they couldn't afford to offend.
It's like a scholar encountering a soldier—you can't reason with him.
You can't beat them in a fight, you can't sue them, and you can't win an argument with them.
They could only watch helplessly as the coffin was carried in.
Upon hearing this news, Madam Jiang fainted immediately.
Once the coffin is placed inside, the job is done.
Mu Jiangyue swaggered away from the Jiang family with her guards.
Before leaving, he didn't forget to rub some salt into the wound.
"I love seeing you hate me like this, but you can't do anything about it. It'll make you feel like Yao Yao is being bullied."
……