Binding Spring Love

Lin Jiayue's erratic behavior didn't seem like an act at all, and the Empress coldly watched as Jiang Xingjian was summoned.

Jiang Man was furious, so angry she almost bit her teeth to pieces.

She had initially thought Lin Jiayue possessed some extraordinary talent, not only being able to conjure ice out of thin air in the summer but also wielding firearms. She had assumed she was a reclusive master from some hidden clan, but it turned out she was just a complete idiot.

Having risen from the legitimate daughter of a marquis's family to a concubine in the palace, Jiang Man had seen countless people, but even so, she had never seen anyone of lowly birth dare to speak nonsense and make empty promises to the imperial concubine.

She shamelessly used the pretext of possessing firearms to lure the Marquis's son into becoming his concubine, using poisonous lead powder to confidently assure him that she could earn any amount of money imaginable...

How dare she?

How dare she!

Jiang Man placed her hands on her knees and clenched them tightly.

Before long, Jiang Xingjian was brought in. As soon as Lin Jiayue saw him, she immediately cried and called him "Brother Xingjian." Upon hearing this, Consort Yun covered her lips with her handkerchief and sneered.

Jiang Xingjian frowned slightly, but quickly returned to normal.

"Brother Xingjian, I'm so sorry, Yue'er has caused you trouble."

She looked sickly and haggard, and now her eyes were bloodshot from crying; she looked very pitiful.

"Brother Xingjian, you were afraid of hurting me, so you neglected your wife who treated me with such sincerity. Yet I always cause you trouble. Yue'er has let you down. Yue'er deserves to die."

"Your Majesty, it's all my fault. I did everything. Please don't blame Brother Jian."

"He is innocent; his only mistake was loving me too much."

Song Wan stood to the side, her face slightly flushed as she listened to these words.

I felt so ashamed for Lin Jiayue, and also ashamed for myself.

It was truly inappropriate for a young lady to say such things in public. However, after feeling uncomfortable for a moment, she gave her a deep, thoughtful glance.

Lin Jiayue was smart; at this time, only by firmly binding herself to Jiang Xingjian could she avoid being abandoned as a pawn.

This heartfelt statement sent chills down Jiang Xingjian's spine.

Seeing Lin Jiayue's eyes bloodshot from crying, Jiang Xingjian suppressed his anger and protected her.

Today she acted as if the two of them were loyal and devoted to each other, so how could he back down at the last minute and push her out to appease the Empress's anger?

How should the world view him?

Jiang Xingjian's temples throbbed with veins as he shielded Lin Jiayue behind him, doing everything he could to protect her.

"I wonder what brings Your Majesty the Empress to summon me here?"

The Empress waved her hand, and the palace ladies-in-waiting recounted the story of Huanyanzhai selling lead powder.

Jiang Xingjian said with a stern face, "Your Majesty is wise. Jia Yue is a woman of the inner quarters and is not allowed to leave the outer courtyard. How could she know that the lead powder was poisonous? Although she helps manage one or two shops in the mansion, the shop affairs are handled by the manager and have nothing to do with Jia Yue."

"It is because I failed to discipline them properly, allowing someone to take advantage of the situation."

Jiang Man spoke softly. She couldn't care less about what happened to Lin Jiayue, but Jiang Xingjian couldn't be harmed. She and the Marquis's mansion couldn't bear the blame for poisoning a concubine.

"Does Consort Jiang think she can absolve herself of the blame for harming other concubines simply by saying she failed to discipline them properly?"

"Consort Rong, you are mistaken. This face powder from Huanyanzhai was not intended for the palace. It was Consort Yun who, for some unknown reason, became fixated on the Marquis's residence that day. Did Consort Yun know that this face powder was problematic, and that's why she asked me to send it to the other consorts?"

Upon hearing this, Song Yuning chuckled: "What Consort Jiang said is quite interesting. Her own shop sells poisoned goods, yet she blames the customers."

"If it weren't for Consort Jiang's greed and her use of inferior goods to replace genuine ones, taking items meant for prostitutes and actors, and then flaunting them at prices a hundred or a thousand times higher than the original, I wouldn't have noticed this little rouge shop."

"Speaking of which..."

Song Yun Ning blinked: "Jiang Fei must have made a lot of money from this shop, right? I wonder what a concubine needs so much money for?"

The Empress glanced at Jiang Man indifferently, and Jiang Man's expression turned slightly cold: "Why does Consort Yun speak so strangely? Her Majesty the Empress is still here. Whether the Marquis's mansion was framed or someone with ulterior motives plotted against me, Her Majesty will have the final say."

"How could Consort Jiang, a woman of exceptional intelligence, be framed and plotted against? If the Fifth Prince were truly like his mother, as Consort Jiang humbly claims, how could he be so quick-witted, studious, and intelligent as he is now?"

Just a few days ago, the Fifth Prince was punished by the Emperor for neglecting his studies, and today Song Yuning came to poke at her.

Jiang Man's face was extremely gloomy. Just as she was about to retaliate, a eunuch outside announced that the Emperor had arrived.

When Emperor Wenhui entered, everyone rose to pay their respects. After a word of greeting, the room fell silent.

"What happened? Why did such a big commotion occur?"

Song Wan lowered her eyes slightly, not looking directly at Emperor Wenhui, while Lin Jiayue's eyes darted around with a curious look.

The female official recounted the whole story, and Emperor Wenhui asked, "Was the face powder delivered to the palace?"

"Because of the palace..."

Before the Empress could finish speaking, Emperor Wenhui interrupted her: "So that means there isn't any? If that's the case, why make such a fuss?"

The Empress had a gloomy face, but Song Wan saw a hint of mockery in Jiang Man's eyes, while her aunt remained indifferent, and the other concubines seemed unsurprised.

No wonder Jiang Man acted so flamboyantly; she was enjoying the emperor's exclusive favor.

"What Marquis Chengyang said makes sense. This Lin is just a woman from the inner quarters. How could she have such abilities? It's probably the shopkeeper who did it."

"Such wicked people who deceive their superiors and cover up their wrongdoings should indeed be severely punished."

"Guards, give that rouge shop owner eighty strokes of the cane, confiscate his goods and return the money to the people, and ban his family for three generations from engaging in commerce..."

In just a few words, Emperor Wenhui settled the matter.

Song Wan stood to the side, her heart sinking slightly.

Her aunt's and the Empress's efforts were all gently picked up and erased one by one.

"It's ridiculous that such a trivial matter has been turned into such a grand trial."

Emperor Wenhui rose to leave, but the Empress said with a gloomy expression, "This poisoned rouge has nothing to do with the Marquis of Chengyang's mansion, but it is a fact that the Marquis of Chengyang favored his concubine over his wife."

"Since it's the truth, the Empress should punish him accordingly. Can't you even handle such a small matter?"

"Everyone, you can leave now."

Emperor Wenhui strode away, while the Empress's face turned pale and ashen, looking extremely unpleasant.

Ever since the eldest prince's moral failings were exposed, she had been unable to stand tall before Emperor Wenhui. After reprimanding Jiang Xingjian a few times, the empress left in anger.

As everyone dispersed, Lin Jiayue knelt to the side, tears welling in her eyes, and asked, "Brother Xingjian, are we alright?"

Some of the lower-ranking concubines, who hadn't even left the room, saw her acting this way and sneered and scorned.

Lin Jiayue pretended not to see anything, hiding shyly behind Jiang Xingjian, impossible to shake off.

Song Wan stood to the side, her expression calm and unhurried.

Although he couldn't do anything to Jiang Man, after today, the whole world will know that Jiang Xingjian has a deep and loyal relationship with the concubine in his household, and that he was willing to risk his life in the deep palace for her.

With the frequent chaos in the Marquis's mansion and Jiang Xingjian's favoritism towards his concubine over his wife, anyone with eyes can see that the Marquis's mansion, from top to bottom, is full of stupid fools with bean curd brains.

Looking at Lin Jiayue, who was becoming increasingly delicate and clingy, Song Wan thought to herself that today's efforts had not been in vain.