mtl008 Chapter 822 One was punished with family discipline, the other was executed.
Chapter 822 One was punished with family discipline, the other was executed.
“It looks familiar too; I think I’ve seen someone take it out many times,” another servant said.
"Who is it?" Master Jiang asked in a deep voice.
"It seems to be Wang Shu's handkerchief. His wife embroidered the character 'tree' on it. Because it was used so often, the character 'tree' was worn and almost unrecognizable."
Everyone present was astonished. Under the Second Miss's pillow was Wang Shu's handkerchief. Wang Shu was just a servant whose behavior seemed crude, yet he had these inexplicable relationships with the Second Miss. What kind of taste did the Second Miss have? She was demeaning herself too much.
The way everyone looked at Jiang Shuxue was full of contempt and disdain.
If what she did before was to fight for the status of the eldest legitimate daughter, and she resorted to any means necessary, such ruthlessness is actually not uncommon in high-ranking families. It's just that she lost.
However, for a noble lady to have an affair with a lowly servant is to lower her own status, demean herself, and be utterly looked down upon by others.
When Jiang Shuxue heard that the handkerchief belonged to Wang Shu, she froze as if struck by lightning. An extremely strange feeling spread throughout her body, with a chill penetrating her internal organs.
Wang Shu must have left the towel with Jiang Shulan, so how did it end up in her room?
Given Wang Shu's greedy nature, he would never cheat her like this for the remaining half of the wealth. He had done many things for her before, always efficiently and without any fuss.
But this time, it seems as if an unseen hand has changed everything.
Jiang Shuxue felt colder and colder, as if a cold wind was blowing through her bones. She couldn't help but hug her shoulders, her eyes filled with fear.
"Injustice! Injustice! I did not have an affair with Wang Shu. He is just a servant. Why would I be interested in him? Someone is framing me."
"Who did this? I'm going to find them and clear my name."
She stared at Jiang Shulan, her eyes bloodshot and radiating an aggressive light that was quite frightening.
"You bitch, was it you? I knew it was you. For so many years, I have been the legitimate eldest daughter of the Jiang family, while you have been living on the streets. You are jealous of me and resentful of me. Even though I have fallen to this state, you still refuse to let me go. You are afraid that one day I will rise up and you want to kill me. Is that right? Is that right?"
Looking at Jiang Shuxue like this, Jiang Shulan was neither angry nor annoyed, but rather felt a little sympathetic.
"Second sister, it seems you need to rest and reflect. Otherwise, you'll be having an affair with a servant and slandering your sisters, bringing shame to Father. How will he see you? What will he think of you?" Jiang Shulan sighed.
Mr. Jiang was so angry that he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.
With so many people present, finding such filthy things during the search was incredibly embarrassing for him; he wished he could disappear into the ground.
Mr. Jiang raised his trembling hand and pointed at Jiang Shuxue.
"You shameless wretch! I've wasted my life raising you. I've spoiled you too much, which is why you've become so reckless. Guards, give her a hundred lashes. Make sure she kneels in the Buddhist hall for three hours every day. Once her injuries have healed, repeat the hundred lashes. She's not allowed to leave this Taoist temple unless she dies."
"Wang Shu doesn't need any treatment. If the snake venom isn't enough to kill him, then beat him to death. He's so ignorant, daring to seduce the second young lady of the Jiang family."
“Keep your mouths shut. Anyone who dares to spread these things will not only be killed, but his family members will also be killed.”
Mr. Jiang didn't want to look at Jiang Shuxue again and left in a huff.
Seeing Master Jiang's chilling expression and extreme anger, no one dared to utter a single word.
Soon Jiang Shuxue was pinned to a long bench, and whips fell mercilessly. Having been pampered since childhood, with delicate skin, she could not withstand it, and her screams echoed in the courtyard.
Wang Shu had already expelled most of the snake venom. After Master Jiang's order was relayed, he was dragged to a deserted courtyard and pinned to the ground.
Upon hearing that he was to be beaten to death, Wang Shu turned pale with fright and shouted tremblingly.
"Innocent, innocent! I did not have an affair with the Second Miss, and I have no idea how the handkerchief ended up in the Second Miss's room. Please spare my life, Master Jiang."
He originally thought that Jiang Shulan might have found the handkerchief and had it disposed of beforehand, but he never expected that it would be with Jiang Shuxue.
This is too mysterious and too bizarre.
Wang Shu couldn't understand it at all.
Even worse, he is going to lose his life because of this.
But no one listened to his pleas for mercy. Wang Shu was beaten until his skin was torn and his spine was broken, and his voice gradually faded away.
Mr. Jiang took a sip of herbal tea to calm down his turbulent emotions.
“Nephew, I feel really bad for making you witness all this. I hope it doesn’t affect your mood. The second young lady is useless and acted recklessly in a confused state. However, you have seen the character and conduct of the eldest young lady.”
Da Meng, however, didn't care at all: "Master Jiang, I only care about Miss. I'll pretend I didn't see anything else."
When Mr. Jiang heard him say this, he was very pleased.
Da Meng arrived carrying a gift box, and Master Jiang made an excuse to leave, giving them a chance to be alone.
The box was opened, revealing a carousel music box. Its exquisite and interesting design and beautiful music immediately caught Jiang Shulan's eye. She picked up the music box, her face beaming with joy, and she couldn't put it down.
"You brought this specifically for me."
"Well, only Lian'er has this. I thought it was rare, so I came to give it to you."
"The Princess Zhenguo is truly a remarkable person," Jiang Shulan remarked.
With the matter settled, Qiao Lian'er returned to Queyuan Prefecture.
If she doesn't show up for so long, the officials there must think she's run away.
Officials from Tai and Xuan prefectures have maintained order. Armed civilians in both areas are blocked by walls of soldiers, but they are all in a tense and ready stance. If the soldiers relax their guard even slightly, they will rush at each other and start fighting.
Some tables and chairs were set up, and the officials from the two counties sat down to negotiate.
The location is a flat plain, with crisscrossing fields nearby and towering mountains in the distance. Some barren land has been cultivated on the mountains, and on the plain, a cool breeze whistles through the wild grass and tree trunks that have lost most of their leaves.
The core of the dispute between the two places lies in the water source.
The Bo River flows through the Tai and Xuan prefectures, but Tai prefecture is upstream and Xuan prefecture is downstream. The Bo River is narrow and has insufficient water flow. Only when it is dammed can it barely irrigate the farmland of Tai prefecture. During the rice growing season, Xuan prefecture can only receive a very small amount of river water for irrigation, resulting in a significant reduction in crop yield.
The people of Xuanjun would often take up arms and go upstream to dig open the dams blocking the river, and bloodshed often occurred between the two sides.
This is a problem that has remained unresolved for many years in the two counties, and it is quite thorny.