Issuing the Order

He spoke casually, as if he could hold a person's life in the palm of his hand with a mere smile. Jiang Li suddenly felt an absurd sense of unreality. Was Ji Heng just like Princess Yongning, assuming that because of their high status, anyone who stood in their way could be discarded without the slightest effort?

Yet, she quickly reined in her stray thoughts. Ji Heng had no personal grudge against the Marquis of Ningyuan's estate, and speaking such words was ultimately for her benefit. If she were to nitpick now, she truly would not know what was good for her.

Jiang Li was not someone who would eat the food and then curse the cook.

She replied, "Thank you for your kind intentions, Lord State Duke. However, taking a life would not be easy to explain to the Marquis of Ningyuan's estate. Yanjing City is currently in a turbulent autumn, and creating more trouble would only invite suspicion."

She politely declined Ji Heng's offer of help.

Ji Heng was noncommittal, saying, "Then you should be more vigilant yourself." After a pause, he added a warning, "Your life belongs to me, so don't let someone else snatch it away by accident."

Jiang Li smiled. "Understood."

After chatting with Ji Heng a bit longer, Jiang Li left the room to check on Xue Huayuan. Today was Situ Jiuyue's first time administering acupuncture to Xue Huayuan, who was extremely frightened. Jiang Li had to support Xue Huayuan's shoulders and soothe him gently before he gradually calmed down.

"He listens to you," Situ Jiuyue glanced at her. "That is quite rare."

"Ever since I brought County Vice-Prefect Xue out of the Tongxiang prison, I have been the one taking care of him for a very long time. Although he has lost his sanity, he instinctively knows who is good to him. He feels more at ease when I am around."

"It's not just that simple." Situ Jiuyue inserted a silver needle into Xue Huayuan's acupoint and continued without lifting her head, "People who have lost their minds like this view everyone the same way. They don't have a distinct sense of who is good or bad, but his attitude toward you is clearly different. Ye Mingyu has spent quite a lot of time with him here, yet Xue Huayuan holds no emotional attachment to Ye Mingyu."

"Did you know each other before?" Situ Jiuyue asked.

Jiang Li's heart skipped a beat, and she flatly denied it, "No, I was in Yanjing City and later went to Mount Qingcheng, while County Vice-Prefect Xue was always in Tongxiang. We had no intersection."

"That's strange," Situ Jiuyue seemed puzzled. "For him to act this way toward you, it must be because, within his residual memories and habits, you are someone he is familiar with."

Jiang Li could only say, "I have no idea why it is like this."

Situ Jiuyue glanced at her again, "I've heard all about your affairs. You are truly bold, no wonder Ji Heng looks at you differently."

Hearing her address Ji Heng so casually by his name, Jiang Li's curiosity was piqued, and she asked, "Lady Jiuyue seems very familiar with the State Duke?"

"I suppose so," Situ Jiuyue replied. "We owe each other our lives."

Jiang Li was secretly surprised. That Jiuyue's life had been saved by Ji Heng was not entirely unexpected to her. She remembered that the Molan turmoil had happened many years ago, and looking back, Situ Jiuyue must have been a little girl of five or six at the time. Lacking the ability to protect herself, and with Molan situated near the eastern border of Northern Yan, Situ Jiuyue would have needed help from someone of Northern Yan to reach the realm. Whether that person was Ji Heng, Jiang Li did not know.

Yet, Situ Jiuyue had actually saved Ji Heng's life as well?

"Don't look at him skipping around full of life now; he almost died back then," Situ Jiuyue said. "It was a miracle he survived, and now nobody can manage to kill him."

Jiang Li: "......"

This young woman certainly did not mince words.

There was no one else in the room. Xue Huayuan cried out meaningless syllables, while Situ Jiuyue supported the back of his neck with one hand and slowly pushed a silver needle in, saying, "Still, it came as a surprise to everyone that he asked me to come and help you. Judging by your appearance, you don't seem like a bad person. Lu Ji told me that your past accusation of killing your mother and younger brother was entirely a frame-up. Tsk tsk tsk," she continued, "Even though you had the courage to act in Tongxiang, you are ultimately just a kind-hearted rabbit. None of the people around Ji Heng are ordinary characters; how did you end up mixed up with them? If you ask me," her fingers moved with a practiced dexterity that dazzled Jiang Li's eyes, "you should draw a clear line with Ji Heng sooner rather than later, lest he implicates you in the future. Even if he doesn't implicate you, you'll sooner or later be scared to death by him."

Jiang Li smiled. "Thank you for your concern, Lady Jiuyue."

Situ Jiuyue frowned, "I am certainly not concerned about you."

Jiang Li found it somewhat amusing inside. Situ Jiuyue appeared to be only a year or two older than the Second Miss Jiang, yet compared to herself from her past life, she seemed slightly younger. However, her manner of speaking and acting carried the air of an elder. Talking to her now felt very much like an older sister advising a naive younger sister—half intimidation, half counsel.

Then again, it made sense. Having suffered sudden, massive upheaval in life, one inevitably matured overnight. Innocence and naivety could never protect a life.

While she was still lost in thought, Situ Jiuyue had already inserted the final needle into Xue Huayuan, who seemed exhausted and fell into a deep sleep. Jiang Li helped him lie down on the bed, pulled up the quilt, and tucked in the corners.

Situ Jiuyue stood aside and watched. Though she possessed sweet and pretty features, she insisted on wearing entirely black, and her smiles carried a hint of ruthlessness—one could tell at a glance she was not someone to be trifled with. "You really know how to take care of people," she remarked.

"Is that so?" Jiang Li smiled.

"Has no one ever told you that?" Situ Jiuyue asked, surprised.

"You are the first," Jiang Li answered.

In her past life at her husband's household, she had waited on the entire Shen family hand and foot, yet she had never received a single word of praise. Before her marriage, taking care of others was something Xue Zhao always did. Xue Huayuan loved his daughter dearly, but he believed in tempering his son. Aside from literary and martial arts, Xue Zhao even knew how to cook.

Sometimes Jiang Li felt that she, the older sister, actually received a great deal of care from Xue Zhao.

As she reminisced, she suddenly saw something flickering in front of her eyes. It was Situ Jiuyue waving her hand right before her face. "What are you thinking about, to be this spaced out?"

Jiang Li snapped back to reality. "I was just thinking of matters back home."

"Very well," Situ Jiuyue said.

"Lady Jiuyue has taken the trouble to personally treat County Vice-Prefect Xue, and Jiang Li expresses her gratitude here."

"No need for thanks," Situ Jiuyue said. "I wouldn't dare disobey Ji Heng's orders. Do you have anything else? If not, I'll be leaving."

With that, she turned and walked away, so unfazed and breezy that she didn't say a single extra word to Jiang Li. Jiang Li didn't mind at all; instead, she found this young woman quite interesting.

When she walked out, Ji Heng was nowhere to be seen, having departed at some point. Seeing her emerge, Wen Renyao's eyes lit up, and he immediately clung to her, calling her "Second Miss" at every turn. Jiang Li broke out in a cold sweat from his overwhelming enthusiasm, hastily made up an excuse, and left the Ye residence to return to the Jiang family estate.

After Jiang Li left, Wen Renyao stood in the courtyard and asked Situ Jiuyue, "Jiuyue, do I look good?"

Situ Jiuyue: "Scram!"

"How strange," he muttered, gazing at his reflection in a mirror where a fair, handsome young man with jade-like features stared back. "Why is it that when Second Miss Jiang sees me, she acts as if she's seen a ghost? When I treat other young women this way, don't they always smile and beam with joy?"

Situ Jiuyue sneered, "Ji Heng looks far better than you do, and Jiang梨 remains perfectly calm when she sees him. Why would anyone choose to eat shit when there are fine delicacies available?"

Wen Renyao: "......"

He protested, "You are truly vulgar!"

......

Inside the Jiang residence, within the Evening Phoenix Hall, Old Madam Jiang sat with her eyes closed.

Ever since the incident with Daoist Priest Chongxu, Aunt Hu had immediately committed suicide by jumping to her death. The Jiang family had suffered major domestic upheavals. Although these matters were not leaked to outsiders, those within the Jiang family knew the truth all too well. Having reached such a state, allowing Ji Shuran to murder several lives right under her very nose, Old Madam Jiang seemed to have aged considerably overnight.

She had always been spirited and vigorous; even in her advanced years, she retained a sharpness and dignity comparable to her youth. But after this ordeal, it felt as though most of her vitality had been drained away. Her personal maid could only watch helplessly as the old madam sat with her eyes closed day after day.

She hadn't even gone to see her most cherished little grandson, Jiang Bingji.

Jade stepped into the room and reported, "Old Madam, the Third Miss is still outside, begging to see you."

Old Madam Jiang opened her eyes, but instead of looking at Jade, she simply stared at the brazier in front of her and said, "Tell her to go back."

"Yes," Jade replied, departing to relay the message to Jiang Youyao.

The wet nurse stood beside Old Madam Jiang, gently massaging her shoulders, and whispered, "The Third Miss has come to see you several times over the past few days."

"She is clever enough not to look for her father, coming to me instead," Old Madam Jiang's tone carried a faint trace of mockery.

Jiang Yuanbai doted on Jiang Youyao the most, yet after this disaster, Jiang Youyao had not once pleaded for leniency on behalf of Ji Shuran in front of Jiang Yuanbai. Instead, she sought out Old Madam Jiang because she was terrified that Jiang Yuanbai might vent his anger over Ji Shuran upon her. Thus, she chose to make herself scarce in front of Jiang Yuanbai altogether.

"As calculating as her mother," Old Madam Jiang said, a hint of weariness in her eyes.

Though she knew intellectually that Ji Shuran's deeds had nothing to do with Jiang Youyao, human beings were creatures of emotion and flesh. Knowing something rationally was one thing, but truly letting it go emotionally was quite another. Old Madam Jiang knew she shouldn't take her anger out on Jiang Youyao, but the mere thought of Ye Zhenzhen, the deceased Jiang Yue'er, or the fact that Ji Shuran had even conceived an illegitimate child with Liu Wentai made Old Madam Jiang's stomach turn. By extension, she simply could not muster any fondness for Jiang Youyao.

In truth, she struggled to treat even Jiang Bingji, whom she had raised with her own hands, with the same warmth as before, let alone Jiang Youyao.

"Old Madam... days have passed. How do you intend to deal with the Ji woman?" the wet nurse asked.

Old Madam Jiang's movements paused slightly.

After a long silence, just when the wet nurse thought the old madam might have fallen asleep, Old Madam Jiang's flat voice sounded, "Bring her the medicine."

The wet nurse's hands trembled. The Jiang family had not administered such "medicine" to anyone in many years. Although the old madam was strict with people, she rarely took lives—unless it was a servant who had committed an egregious offense, but even then, they were never quietly put to death. This showed just how deeply the old madam hated Ji Shuran, to the point of demanding her life.

"What? Do you think I am being too harsh?" Old Madam Jiang sensed the other's hesitation, and before the nurse could reply, she said with bitter self-mockery, "I still feel I'm letting her off too lightly. Setting aside her adultery and the illegitimate child she bore, our Jiang family alone has paid with three lives. Three lives!" She muttered, "Just how venomous must someone's heart be to harm even children."

"I told Yuanbai long ago that when marrying a wife, one needn't choose someone overly clever; given the Jiang family's status, there was no need to attach ourselves to anyone. Though the Ye family's background was slightly lesser, the important thing was that she was kind-hearted and gentle. Now looking back, I cannot tell whether that was a blessing or a curse. Perhaps it was precisely because the Ye woman was too lenient in her ways that she allowed subordinates to harbor ulterior motives, leading her to be manipulated by the Ji woman and lose her life. Of course, this is also my fault for failing to govern the household strictly. Had I paid more attention back then, the Ye woman might not have fallen victim to the Ji woman's schemes."

"Old Madam, you shouldn't blame yourself so much," the wet nurse consoled. "Who could have known that while the former mistress was still alive, the Ji woman had already set her sights on the position of mistress and harbored such malicious intentions? Such a thing is unheard of even in Yanjing City."

"Leaving aside the Ye woman, I didn't even take good care of her daughter, the Second Lass," Old Madam Jiang's smile turned bitter. "Back then, the Second Lass insisted over and over that she hadn't pushed Ji Shuran, but I trusted only my own eyes, never suspecting it was merely a performance orchestrated by Ji. I simply never imagined that Ji Shuran would be ruthless enough to sacrifice the very flesh and blood in her own womb."

Thinking of this, the wet nurse couldn't help but shudder. That was flesh of her own flesh! Even if it was an illegitimate child, it was still connected by blood. Yet Ji Shuran had discarded it without a moment's hesitation purely to frame Jiang梨, pulling off the act before everyone's eyes and deceiving them all.

"The Second Lass spent eight years on Mount Qingcheng. Now that she has returned, look at her—has she ever shown true closeness to a single person in this household?" Old Madam Jiang asked.

The wet nurse was left speechless.

The Second Miss acted with politeness and gentleness, but as for true closeness? There was none; she remained entirely courteous and formal even toward Jiang Yuanbai.

"She goes to the Ye family every single day, and to put it bluntly, she shows more warmth toward a mentally impaired outsider than she does toward us. This is our own doing. Having cast her aside back then, it's only natural that she looks down upon us now."

Old Madam Jiang spoke with sorrow, and listening to it, the wet nurse felt a prickle of sourness in her nose. She persuaded, "The Second Miss has only just returned to the Jiang family, and she hasn't been here long; the knot in her heart is still tied. Now that the truth about the Ji woman has come to light, her knot is considered untied. Give it time, and naturally things will get better. You and the First Master are her blood relatives; if she doesn't grow close to you, who else is she going to be close to?"

Old Madam Jiang shook her head. "I have lived to a ripe old age, with one foot already stepping into the coffin. What kind of people haven't I seen? At my age, I rarely misjudge people anymore. The Second Lass will never grow close to us again. Her heart has hardened, and nothing we do now can remedy it. It's too late."

Her tone brook no argument.

Before the wet nurse could respond, Old Madam Jiang's voice continued, "Still, it's for the best. With her acting like this, she won't be bullied like her mother was. Having a harder heart, keeping her guard up in all matters, and not giving her entire heart to the first person she meets—she won't be so easily deceived in the future. Seeing her like this, I can finally rest easy."

After pondering for a moment, the wet nurse said, "Old Madam, don't write her off just yet. Human hearts are made of flesh. As long as we start treating the Second Miss well from now on, there will come a day when she sees it."

Old Madam Jiang waved her hand. "Enough. Who knows if I'll even be alive to see that day. Has the Second Lass not returned to the estate yet?"

"She went out to the Ye residence," the wet nurse replied.

"When she returns, tell her to go see the Ji woman. Whatever she wishes to say to her, let her say it."

"Old Madam, this is..." The wet nurse was startled.

"After she has seen the Ji woman, administer the medicine," Old Madam Jiang said with cold, resolute eyes. "Send her on her way early, so she can atone for her sins sooner."

With those words, she closed her eyes once more, appearing as though she had fallen asleep.

The wet nurse remained silent for a long while, offering no further words.

......

Within the Yaoguang Pavilion, Jiang Youyao paced anxiously back and forth across the room.

Ji Shuran had been locked away, and others were forbidden from approaching. Jiang Youyao couldn't go visit her; truthfully, she didn't even dare to. No matter how ignorant of worldly affairs she usually was, the crimes Ji Shuran had confessed to on that day were truly too shocking. Setting everything else aside, the mere charge of adultery alone made Jiang Youyao certain that the Jiang family would never treat Ji Shuran lightly.

Back then, the peerless talent of Yanjing, Scholar's wife Xue Fangfei, had been discovered to have committed adultery, and even now, whenever people mentioned her, they only spat out the word "strumpet." Now that the person in question had become Ji Shuran, one could easily imagine that if this leaked out, the news of the current Chief Councilor's wife committing adultery would be far more scandalous and talked-about than a mere scholar's wife.

Fortunately, Old Madam Jiang had already handled the aftermath; the contracts of servitude of the servants in the courtyard were tightly held in the old madam's hands, guaranteeing that not a single word would leak out. Even so, Jiang Youyao's heart remained filled with restless anxiety. Moreover, the gazes from the second and third branches stung—Madame Lu's mocking looks whenever she saw Jiang Youyao made her wish a hole would open in the ground so she could crawl into it.

Ji Shuran had become tainted, and the way people looked at her was filthy too, as if Jiang Youyao herself was the child of an adulterer. But she was not! She was the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family, a genuine golden branch and jade leaf! No one else could ever snatch away her position, and they never would!

"Miss... what should we do... the old madam's attitude is too tough," whispered the maid Jinhua.

"Has there been any reply to the letter I wrote to my aunt?" Jiang Youyao asked.

Now that the wall had collapsed and everyone was pushing it down, trying to smuggle a letter out of the estate was harder than ascending to the heavens. She had spent a considerable amount of silver to bribe a footman of the Jiang residence to deliver the letter outside to Madame Chen. In the letter, Jiang Youyao had instructed Madame Chen to seek out Consort Li in the imperial palace, believing Consort Li would certainly find a way.

Yinhua shook her head.

Disappointment instantly flashed across Jiang Youyao's face. "It can't be. Is it because the old madam is guarding the Jiang family too strictly now, so letters from the outside cannot enter? Jinhua, go and inquire about it again."

Jinhua said cautiously, "Miss, I'm afraid Madame Chen won't be coming anymore. The day before yesterday, after the mistress's incident, people from the Ji family came once, but then they left again... Are they... planning to abandon the mistress?" If there was any room for maneuvering, the Ji family would never have left so decisively; at the very least, they would have stalled in the residence for a while longer. Yet they had departed immediately.

At these words, a sharp "crack" echoed as Jiang Youyao slapped Jinhua across the face. "Talk nonsense again!" Jiang Youyao glared at her with hatred. "How could my maternal grandmother and aunt abandon my mother? This is clearly a delaying tactic! Who knows what the old madam and my father said to trick them into leaving? My aunt and the others simply don't understand the situation my mother is in right now. I've written everything clearly in the letter; once they learn of my mother's plight, they will immediately send someone to rescue us out of here!"

Jinhua hurriedly dropped to her knees. "This servant knows her wrong, it was this servant speaking nonsense. Madame Chen will definitely come to save the mistress."

Lingering anger still burned in Jiang Youyao's chest. Although she spoke with absolute certainty, deep down, under the weight of Jinhua's words, a growing sense of unease crept in.

Ji Shuran hadn't told her on that day precisely how Jiang梨 was supposed to fall into ruin, but Jiang Youyao could vaguely guess that the final outcome hadn't turned out that way. Daoist Priest Chongxu had vanished without a trace afterward. If Madame Chen had indeed gone to plead for help from Consort Li in the palace, Consort Li surely wouldn't have stood by idly; so why had there been no news up to this point? Even if Madame Chen couldn't enter the Jiang estate, sending someone to pass along a message should have been easy.

Yet there was nothing—absolutely nothing.

If things continued this way, it would spell disaster. Terrified as she was, Jiang Youyao knew that the only person in this household who truly cared for her well-being was Ji Shuran. Jiang Yuanbai was furious with Ji Shuran now, and she had no idea whether he would ever forgive her mother. But sitting here doing nothing and waiting was detrimental to her. Who knew if that vile wretch Jiang梨 would secretly pull some other malicious trick behind the scenes?

She sprang abruptly to her feet. "No, I must find a way to leave the estate."

"Miss?" Yinhua blinked in shock. "The estate is locked down tight as a drum right now, how could we possibly get out?"

To prevent servants from spreading the gossip, the estate wouldn't even let a fly flutter outside, let alone a living person like Jiang Youyao. Although Jiang Youyao wasn't formally placed under house arrest, the reality was she could go nowhere.

"Damnable," Jiang Youyao sat back down in her chair with a frustrated thud. "What are we supposed to do?"

......

Night was gradually descending.

If there was anyone in the household who could still come and go freely, Jiang Li was likely one of them. She had just returned from the Ye residence and was walking toward the Fangfei Courtyard. Qingfeng and Mingyue were sitting in the courtyard embroidering handkerchiefs, and seeing Jiang梨 return, they stood up to greet her.

"Has anything happened in the estate?" Jiang Li asked.

"Baoqin came by earlier, returning the silver and firewood that you previously gave to help Aunt Hu," Mingyue said. "Baoqin served Aunt Hu her entire life. After Aunt Hu passed away, Baoqin had nowhere else to go. The old madam returned her contract of servitude and allowed her to return home. But Baoqin seemed utterly heartbroken, saying she wanted to go to a temple and spend the rest of her days in the company of a blue lamp and ancient Buddha." Mingyue sighed as she spoke. "She is truly a pitiful soul."

"Has she already left?" Jiang Li asked.

"She leaves the estate tomorrow."

Jiang Li handed the pouch of silver back to Mingyue. "Even if she is going to a temple, silver is indispensable. The days ahead are long; there's no need to cut off all one's paths of retreat right now. But if I said this to her directly, she wouldn't listen anyway. Think of a way to give this silver to her without letting her know it came from me," Jiang Li instructed.

Mingyue took the pouch, stared at it in a daze for a moment, and then smiled. "You have such a kind heart, Miss."

"I am merely feeling a sense of sorrow," Jiang Li shook her head.

"Oh, right, Pearl from the old madam's side also came by earlier," Qingfeng recalled. "Pearl said that once you returned, the old madam wishes for you to go see the Ji woman. Whatever you have to say to her, you may go and say it."

Tonger looked startled. "Didn't the old madam give strict orders that no one is allowed to approach that madwoman Ji Shuran?"

"Who knows, perhaps it's specifically to let the Second Miss vent her anger. The Ji woman harmed you and the mistress so terribly; naturally, you should give her a thorough scolding to release the frustration," Qingfeng said dismissively.

Jiang Li did not think so. For the old madam to suddenly have such words passed along could only mean one thing: she had made up her mind. Ji Shuran's journey had reached its end, and the old madam was giving her the chance to pay a final visit to Ji Shuran.

Jiang Li said, "Since it is the old madam's command, let us go."

"Right now?" Tonger asked.

"Right now."

Any later, and it would be too late.

......

Ji Shuran was tied up inside an abandoned utility room in the side courtyard.

White silk hung both inside and outside the room. Because Aunt Hu had died—though typically high-ranking households did not hold formal mourning rites for a concubine, especially one like Aunt Hu who had been practically forgotten by the household for years—the manner of her death had been too tragic, and the Jiang family felt deeply culpable. Thus, even as a concubine, she was given a proper burial, and everyone in the estate wore mourning garb.

The room where Ji Shuran was kept was similarly adorned. Only two white candles flickered inside, their wax dripping into bizarre shapes that resembled human tears. At the doorway, someone had set up a bronze basin containing unburned paper money, some of which had drifted out, casting fluttering, eerie shadows across the windowpanes.

Ji Shuran huddled in a corner, a chill running down her spine.

There was not a soul inside the room. Fear gripped her heart; even those rough-mannered old maids who had spoken to her so harshly now felt strangely missed—at least if there was another person in the room, she wouldn't feel this ghost-ridden gloom.

She had always considered herself fearless of ghosts and spirits. In her view, as long as a person possessed ruthlessness and means, even ghosts would fear the wicked. But the day Daoist Priest Chongxu came to perform the exorcism, what she witnessed with her own eyes completely shattered that belief. Ghosts did exist in this world. Once that certainty took hold, the moment Ji Shuran closed her eyes, she could vividly see all the people she had murdered coming at her with bared fangs and brandished claws.

Ye Zhenzhen, Jiang Yue'er, Liu Wentai, Siqi, and countless others, including the child in her womb. Her mind was overwhelmingly chaotic, filled with the voices of many people speaking at once. At that moment, she felt utterly fragile, desperately wishing Jiang Bingji and Jiang Youyao were right in front of her.

Yet, they had not come.

On second thought, it made sense. In the eyes of the Jiang family, her crimes were unforgivable, and her son and daughter were naturally forbidden from visiting her. Fortunately, neither Jiang Yuanbai nor Old Madam Jiang were unreasonable people; they wouldn't take their anger out on her children because of her. Thinking along those lines brought Ji Shuran a sliver of comfort.

Just then, the sound of movement stirred outside. Ji Shuran nervously curled her body tighter. Her hands and feet were bound, rendering her completely immobile and unable to flee. Though she wasn't born into royalty, she had never lived a life of hardship, let alone suffered such confinement. Ji Shuran thought to herself that once she managed to get out of this dreadful place, she would make sure her older sister, Consort Li, found a way to ruthlessly retaliate against the Jiang family.

Yes, Ji Shuran still believed she would get out.

At first, she thought she had no chance of survival because the ghost of Liu Wentai had appeared. But for reasons unknown, Liu Wentai had not taken her away. As long as a person remained alive, the instinct for survival burned fiercely. Once she recovered her wits, Ji Shuran's thoughts turned entirely toward how to escape.

Setting everything else aside, her older sister was the Emperor's most favored imperial concubine; if the Jiang family wanted to harm her, they would have to weigh the consequences carefully.

The footsteps outside grew gradually clearer—step by step, neither too heavy nor too light—and Ji Shuran felt every single one of them strike heavily against her heart.

Voices sounded outside.

The door creaked open.

The wind swept up the paper money scattered on the floor, and someone dressed in plain white garments, wearing a white mourning flower in her hair and holding a lantern, stepped inside.

It was Jiang Li.