sjar Chapter 85: Crying and Making a Scene
Chapter 85: Crying and Making a Scene
As she spoke, Old Madam Jiang was about to bow.
Zhaoyang went over and helped Old Madam Jiang up.
"Madam, you flatter me. I just never expected something like this to happen today."
"I won't pursue the matter further, so you don't need to apologize."
Old Madam Jiang held her breath and forced a smile, "Thank you, Princess."
Gu Liang, standing behind Jiang Zhi, spoke up: "Why isn't Your Highness saying anything?"
"Are you perhaps afraid of something?"
"Today, neither side should suffer any losses; it's just that it's an eyesore for everyone."
"As for Miss Jiang the Second, Grandmother will still have to discipline her properly when she gets back."
Gu Liang said calmly, "Oh right, Zhaoyang, don't forget to tell Father about his good son's heroic deeds."
Gu Liang's words immediately made Gu Yuan, who was on the ground, feel ashamed.
He clenched his teeth and stared at Gu Liang with wide eyes.
He knew that no matter how angry he was, he couldn't talk back now; the current situation was too unfavorable for him.
Moreover, he had to endure dealing with Gu Liang.
Madam Jiang, who was standing to the side, forced herself to remain calm and said to the princess, "If the princess is resting here, I will not disturb her."
As he spoke, Lu Nianqiu helped Old Madam Jiang outside.
The crowd dispersed.
Jiang Zhi's gaze shifted, and the corners of her lips slightly turned up.
Above them, Gu Liang's voice rang out softly, "Let's go."
Jiang Zhi and Gu Liang stared at each other for a long while before Jiang Zhi slowly spoke, "There's a second half."
Gu Liang stared at her intently, a hint of helplessness creeping into his smile.
-
The night was deep and still, and the front hall of the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion was completely silent.
Upon learning that Jiang Luan and Gu Yuan's affair had been exposed, Lady Liu disregarded all attempts to stop her and went directly from the side courtyard to the main hall.
As soon as he rushed to the front hall, he saw Old Madam Jiang standing next to Marquis Zhenyuan with a tense face.
His eyes were like cold knives as he stared at Jiang Luan, who was kneeling on the ground.
After being dragged back to the Jiang residence by the nanny, Jiang Luan was taken to the front hall without even having time to change her clothes.
The guards inside the hall dared not raise their heads, and even the guards waiting outside were reluctant to look up.
As Liu approached the front hall, her expression changed drastically upon seeing Jiang Luan dressed in such a ghastly manner.
"Luan'er?"
Why are you dressed like that?
"What happened?"
Jiang Luan froze, and when she saw Liu Shi arrive, she looked at her with pleading eyes, her slightly hoarse voice trembling, "Mother, I didn't mean it, I really didn't mean it."
"My daughter was just sometimes blinded by love."
"Mother, I was wrong, I really know I was wrong."
"Please beg your grandmother, beg your father, release Luan'er."
"OK?"
Marquis Zhenyuan's face turned ashen, and he closed his eyes.
He didn't know what to say.
Madam Jiang's face flushed red, and she slammed her hand on the armchair.
He instructed the several maids beside him, "Go over there and drag Miss Jiang away to examine her body."
"If you are not innocent, you will be drowned in a pig cage tomorrow."
As soon as Madam Jiang finished speaking, Madam Liu rushed to her side.
Her heart pounded, and she quickly explained, "Madam, how could Luan'er not be a virgin?"
“She is still engaged to the Marquis of Guangde’s family, so she would never do such a despicable thing.”
Old Madam Jiang sneered, her gaze falling on Jiang Luan kneeling on the ground.
Jiang Luan trembled all over, "Mother, Mother, Grandmother, I don't want to be drowned in a pig cage."
"Grandmother, no!"
Madam Jiang snorted coldly.
Suddenly, she recalled the day Jiang Zhi returned to the manor and said he wanted to examine Jiang Luan's body. Jiang Luan was so frightened that her face turned pale, which made her even more suspicious of whether she was truly a virgin.
The words spoken at Princess Zhaoyang's residence have completely disgraced the Jiang family.
A well-bred young lady dressed up as a courtesan and went to other men's homes to seek pleasure.
She was even branded as a seductress by others.
She was probably even more despicable than a courtesan in a brothel.
In a cold tone, she ordered the two maids, "Drag her away and examine her!"
"With so much trouble happening today, how are we supposed to explain this to the Marquis of Guangde's household?"
The two old women received the order, went over, grabbed Jiang Luan, and dragged her towards the front hall.
Jiang Luan knelt on the ground, crying uncontrollably, "Grandmother, Grandmother, please forgive Luan'er, please forgive Luan'er, Luan'er knows she was wrong."
She struggled desperately, but no matter how hard she tried, the two old women held her down tightly.
She wasn't given a chance; before she could even resist, she was already dragged into the room.
Jiang Zhi and Gu Liang sat in the chairs, silent.
She glanced at him sideways and blinked.
She suddenly realized that what Wu Shi had said seemed to make some sense.
He seems to care about me a little, otherwise he wouldn't have stayed with me.
But was he genuinely kind to her, or did he have ulterior motives?
After all, she approached him with an ulterior motive at the time.
Noticing Jiang Zhi's gaze, Gu Liang lowered her eyes.
"Am I pretty?" Gu Liang asked.
Jiang Zhi opened his mouth, almost blurting out that he was not as good-looking as himself.
After all, she has a clear understanding of her own appearance.
Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Gu Liang's eyes flickered with emotion. "She is not as beautiful as Madam."
These words surprised Jiang Zhi. No wonder the two of them were said to be a match made in heaven at noon.
Jiang Zhi scoffed.
A short while later, a nanny walked in with a complicated expression.
She leaned down and whispered something in Madam Jiang's ear, which immediately made Madam Jiang's lips twitch with anger, and she gasped for breath.
She gripped her cane and took a deep breath.
"First, lock Miss Jiang in the woodshed. Tomorrow, I will go with her to drown her in the pig cage."
As soon as Madam Jiang's cold voice fell, Madam Liu immediately knelt down.
"Madam, Luan'er must have been framed and thus lost her innocence. Please forgive Luan'er."
It would have been better if Madam Liu hadn't spoken; she was a woman who had been confined to a secluded courtyard, yet she dared to plead for her.
Does she think she's some kind of clean person?
"That lowly hussy gave birth to a little hussy!" Old Madam Jiang's gaze suddenly sharpened.
She stood up from the chair, leaning on her cane.
"You can rest assured, tomorrow she will be drowned in a pig cage for two hours. Whether she lives or dies depends on her own fate."
She looked at the old woman beside her.
"Go prepare paper and pen, and send a letter to the Marquis of Guangde's residence."
“Our Zhenyuan Marquis’s Mansion voluntarily dissolves the marriage agreement with the Guangde Marquis’s Mansion.”
As soon as Madam Jiang finished speaking, Madam Liu's eyes widened in disbelief as she asked, "Mother, what did you say... that the engagement is being called off?"
“How can this be!” Madam Liu exclaimed again. “How can this engagement be canceled so easily?”
"Moreover, the Marquis of Guangde's residence is unaware of today's events, so it can be completely concealed."
Madam Jiang looked at Madam Liu and almost laughed out of anger.
She shouted angrily, "You shameless thing!"
"Jiang Luan's body is ruined, how could she possibly marry Pei Shangdao?"
"Is she some kind of precious darling? She ruined her reputation and still expects others to pamper her?"
She knew that Lady Liu cared deeply about the marriage agreement with the Marquis of Guangde's family.
Jiang Zhi also understood that Liu Shi's desire for Jiang Luan to marry Pei Shangdao was all for the sake of the Imperial Noble Consort.
Behind the Imperial Noble Consort is Gu Yuan.
One reason for this is that Pei Shangdao held an official position in the imperial court.
Secondly, Pei Shangqi is the only legitimate eldest son of the Guangde Marquis's family, and like the Zhenyuan Marquis, he can mobilize an army with a token.
Therefore, Liu went to great lengths to snatch away the marriage that originally belonged to Lu Nianqiu.
It was all for the sake of the army he would eventually control.
Their plan was well-conceived, but they underestimated Old Madam Jiang's attitude towards women who were not considered "clean."
Old Madam Jiang gave a cold laugh.