The Marquis doesn't support his beloved wife's ambitions, so I'll take the imperial e

That golden birdcage ultimately didn't stay in the warehouse for more than three days.

Jiang Zhenxue invited the best goldsmith in Yunyang County and, in front of all the servants, ordered, "Melt it down."

The goldsmith's hand trembled in fright, thinking he had misheard: "Shopkeeper, this...this is top-quality pure gold, the craftsmanship..."

"I'll let you melt it down." Jiang Zhenxue's tone left no room for argument. "Make it into the simplest gold hairpins. Make as many as you have the material."

As the roaring fire blazed, the magnificent cage, a symbol of imprisonment and humiliation, twisted and deformed little by little in the flames, eventually turning into a pool of dazzling golden liquid.

Everyone present was stunned by Jiang Zhenxue's shocking act.

Kang Mingyan was dumbfounded, while Shen Yu stood silently behind her, his eyes filled with an unprecedented determination.

Three days later, every servant of Qingyun Pavilion, regardless of gender, received a heavy gold hairpin.

Jiang Zhenxue personally put a gold hairpin in the hair of the maid who was sweeping the floor, and said gently, "Follow me and work hard. From now on, whatever I eat, you will eat too. What I have, you will have too."

In an instant, the hearts of the people turned to him.

Jiang Zhenxue waited quietly for Xiao Qingyan to make his move. She thought he would be furious and immediately send people to arrest her.

However, for several days in a row, things remained calm.

Qingyun Pavilion's business was astonishingly good, with a daily turnover of over a thousand taels of silver. However, the mysterious distinguished guest at Yingxian Tower seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

This made Jiang Zhenxue even more uneasy.

He was like a beast lurking in the shadows, patiently waiting for the moment she would reveal a weakness.

That day, Jiang Zhenxue ran out of her usual calming incense. This incense was blended by herself and could soothe the nerves and help with sleep. Some of the ingredients were only available at an inconspicuous spice shop in the south of the city.

Shen Yu had just been sent by her to a neighboring county to negotiate a large paper deal and wouldn't be back for a while.

After much deliberation, Jiang Zhenxue decided to go by herself.

She changed into the most ordinary coarse cloth dress, wrapped her hair with a headscarf, and used a special potion to make her skin look sallow, with a few inconspicuous pockmarks on her face.

Now, she looks like an ordinary purchasing maid.

The shopping went smoothly. She bought the spices and some snacks she liked on the street, then took a shortcut back home.

She had walked through this alley several times, as it allowed her to avoid the crowds on the main street.

However, as soon as she turned into the alley, her path was blocked by several idle thugs.

Wu Shaodong, fanning himself with a folding fan, slowly strolled out of the alleyway. He looked Jiang Zhenxue up and down, his eyes sticky and disgusting.

"Run, Manager Jiang, why have you stopped running?"

Jiang Zhenxue's heart sank, but she remained calm on the surface: "I don't know what you're talking about, please move aside."

"Still pretending?" Young Master Wu sneered. His servant ripped off Jiang Zhenxue's headscarf, and her long, black hair cascaded down like a waterfall.

"Tsk tsk, that figure, that hair, I'd recognize you even if you were ashes." Young Master Wu approached step by step, his greedy gaze roaming over her. "I gave you a chance, but you didn't cherish it."

A lewd glint flashed in his eyes: "Since you won't keep me company in Qingyun Pavilion, then keep me company in this alley! Let my brothers see what it's like to be the most beautiful woman in Yunyang County!"

"How dare you!" Jiang Zhenxue shouted sharply, secretly reaching for the self-defense dagger hidden in her sleeve.

"What wouldn't I dare to do?" Young Master Wu laughed even more arrogantly. "Even if I took care of you right here today, who would know? And who would dare to stand up for an outsider like you?"

He suddenly reached out and grabbed at Jiang Zhenxue's collar!

Jiang Zhenxue dodged to the side, drew her dagger, and stabbed forward!

Wu Shaodong was surprised that she dared to resist and took a step back in fright. A servant reacted quickly and kicked Jiang Zhenxue's wrist.

"what!"

The dagger slipped from Jiang Zhenxue's hand and fell to the ground. Jiang Zhenxue cried out in pain as another servant twisted her arms behind her back and pinned her against the wall.

The cold wall hurt her, and Wu Shaodong's disgusting face loomed large before her eyes.

"Little Chili, you've got quite the temper." He grinned maliciously, reaching out to pinch her chin. "I'll see just how tough your bones are!"

Despair washed over us like a tidal wave.

Just then—

"stop!"

With a furious shout and a sharp gust of wind, Shen Yu burst out from who-knows-where!

He had already ridden quickly to the outskirts of the city, but because he felt uneasy, he turned back and unexpectedly stumbled upon this scene!

His eyes were bloodshot, like a crazed young beast. He kicked a servant to the ground, picked up a wooden stick from the ground, and stood guard over Jiang Zhenxue.

"Dare to touch Sister Jiang, and I'll kill you all!"

Wu Shaodong was startled by his ferocity, then flew into a rage: "Where did this stray dog ​​come from? Beat it! Beat it to death!"

Four or five servants rushed forward.

Although Shen Yu had learned a few self-defense techniques, he was still young and his two fists were no match for four hands, so he quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.

He was hit several times and his mouth was bleeding, but he still fought to the death and refused to retreat, using his thin body to build a shaky barrier for Jiang Zhenxue behind him.

"Xiao Yu!" Jiang Zhenxue was terrified.

"Bang!"

Shen Yu was struck squarely on the back, staggered, and fell to his knees, dropping the wooden stick from his hand.

Seeing this, Wu Shaodong's face revealed a cruel smile. He picked up the wooden stick, raised it high, and aimed it at Shen Yu's head.

"You overconfident fool, I'll cripple you today!"

At the critical moment.

A cold, emotionless voice came from the alley entrance.

"Try touching him."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap, freezing everyone in the alley in place.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Suddenly, a person appeared at the alley entrance.

The man was dressed in a moon-white robe, with a tall and straight figure. Although he was alone, the imposing aura emanating from him seemed to carry the pressure of a thousand troops, making the entire narrow alley feel crowded.

His face was expressionless, and his unfathomable phoenix eyes were quietly watching this side.

That gaze was as if looking at a group of ants.

Wu Shao Dongjia felt a chill run down his spine under that gaze, and he could no longer raise the stick in his hand. He shouted, his voice trembling with fear, "Who are you? How dare you meddle in my business?"

Xiao Qingyan ignored him.

His gaze swept over everyone, through the dust, and landed precisely on the "maid" who was pinned against the wall, her clothes disheveled, her face filled with panic.

The moment Jiang Zhenxue met his gaze, her blood seemed to freeze.

It's him.

Xiao Qingyan.

What is he doing here?!

Shouldn't he be at Yingxian Tower, waiting to see her make a fool of herself?

Xiao Qingyan looked at her, at her sallow skin, the pockmarks on her face, and the faded coarse cloth clothes she was wearing.

He suddenly laughed.

The smile didn't reach his eyes; the curve of his lips was cold and cruel.

He finally understood where the restlessness he had felt these past few days came from.

It turns out that his canary not only learned how to build a nest, but also how to camouflage itself.

They dressed up so ugly and looked so pathetic.

It's really fun.

He slowly walked towards her, step by step.

Every step felt like stepping on Jiang Zhenxue's heart.

Enraged by his dismissive attitude, Wu Shaodong was about to lash out when one of his servants, as if recognizing something, suddenly grabbed his sleeve, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Young...Young Master, please...please don't be impulsive! Look at that jade pendant on his waist...it's...it's something from the palace! That guy at Yingxian Tower...it's him!"

Wu Shaodong's head exploded with a "buzz".

He looked at the dark jade pendant with a coiled dragon pattern carved on Xiao Qingyan's waist, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.