五月阁色婷婷丁香五月

Upon arrival, he looked around and made sure that no one was around. Then he stepped forward and knocked gently on the door.

An old maid heard the knock and opened the door a little. When she saw the familiar face of the guard through the crack, she stepped aside to let him in.

He lit a lamp in the house and saw Madam Jiang’s thin face appear behind the lamp. Her face looked pale, haggard, and even a little gray. She was no longer the noble Madam of Marquis Xing who lived in luxurious surroundings.

“Madam, His Excellency wrote a letter to you!” The guard presented a letter.

Madam Jiang took it over joyfully. She had secretly sent many letters to her husband. Each of them was full of sincere and affectionate words. She was no longer the domineering and overbearing Madam of Marquis Xing.

Ru’er had told her to go back to the Marquis Xing’s Mansion. As long as she could keep her position as the Madam of Marquis Xing, it would help her. For this reason, Madam Jiang was willing to give in and stop arguing with Shao Jing. She only hoped that Shao Jing would let her go back for the sake of their son and daughter.

“Is there any good news?”

Madam Jiang opened the letter with trembling fingers. When she returned to the Marquis Xing’s Mansion, she would take the time to think of new ways to deal with Shao Wanru. She was Princess Chen now. So what? Ru’er would have a very promising future. One day, she would obtain a higher status than Shao Wanru. At that time, she could torture Shao Wanru in whatever way she wanted.

At the moment, she had to endure hardship.

In such a painful situation, it would be challenging for her to live without complaining. But no matter how difficult it was, she had to hold on. Even if her heart was filled with hatred, she had to keep control of herself and would not act as impulsively as before.

That was what Madam Jiang was thinking about before she saw the letter in her hand clearly. But when she finished reading the letter, she spat out a mouthful of blood on it despite her determination to remain composed.

The black handwriting stained by her blood looked weird and desolate.

Madam Jiang sat down with a thud, her face as pale as snow. She grasped the envelope in her hand as if holding onto her last life-saving rope. “Does he really mean that?”

“His Excellency asked you to consider the First Miss and the First Young Master. No matter what, they are your children. Besides, they will have a promising future. If others find out their mother has committed a felony, it will do them no good!” The guard whispered.

“Then do they have to exchange my life for a better future?” Madam Jiang sneered. “What did the First Young Master say?”

“He didn’t know about this. His Excellency only asked me to come here and tell you about it. He was afraid you would do anything foolish if you had no idea about the situation!” The guard reported.

“He didn’t know. Really?” Madam Jiang’s smile appeared much bleaker and sadder. She knew her son well. Since the capital was buzzing with the news, how could he not know about it? How could he not know anything about it?

He knew what was happening but made no move because he was waiting for Shao Jing’s reaction. However, as his son, he must have known his reaction already.

With Shao Jing’s temperament, he would give up on her.

She had always known what kind of person Shao Jing was. It was within her expectation that Shao Jing would treat her like this. However, her son, whom she had always cared about the most, turned a blind eye to her miserable situation and ignored everything about her, which made her feel devastated.

She could no longer withstand the horrible tension and had to sacrifice her life. “Doesn’t Hua’an know it?”

“Ru’er? Does… does she know?” Madam Jiang asked with a trembling voice. Her daughter was her last hope.

“First Miss has suffered a lot in the Palace. His Excellency said whether First Miss knew it or not, you’d better not to disturb her life. When she gains a high status in the future, she will feel deep gratitude towards you, her kind mother!” The guard replied fluently. Obviously, he had memorized these words early.

“Ru’er, are you also going to abandon me?

“When she enjoys a high status in the future, how could she remember me? I’m nothing but a pile of dry and bleached bones at that time!”

The taste of blood in her throat made her want to vomit, and she spat another mouthful of blood. Here and there, the blood stains as red as plum blossoms decorated the room in dim light, making a dreary and desperate scene.

Clenching the envelope in her hand, Madam Jiang closed their eyes and slowly opened them. “Do I have to die?”

“Well, not exactly. If you can find a way out for yourself, His Excellency will help. But I’m afraid that there’s no other way!” The guard suggested.

“So, I have to die to get away?”

Madam Jiang closed her eyes again, trying to suppress the raging anger in her heart, and said slowly, “Go back and tell your master that I will handle this matter well. If I have to do it, I… I won’t drag him down with me. But I plead with him to treat our son and daughter well and do his best to bring them a more brilliant future! Even if he gets new children in the future, their status in his mansion can never go beyond that of the First Young Master and the First Miss!”

The guard replied, “His Excellency said you could rest assured. Your son and daughter are also his; he has anchored his great hope in them. How could he give up on them so easily? As long as you don’t implicate other people in the Marquis Xing’s Mansion, the First Young Master and the First Miss will be fine!”

They must have prepared all the answers a long time ago. The words recited by the guard didn’t sound sincere, and Madam Jiang could hear the threat in them.

Only if she did not implicate anyone in the Marquis Xing’s Mansion could he ensure they were safe. If not, or more clearly, if she involved Shao Jing, her son and daughter would suffer.

Madam Jiang spat out another mouthful of blood and understood her current situation.

“I won’t reply to him. Tell him I know what I should do and let him rest assured. But before everything is over, he can’t divorce me. Or else, don’t blame me for being heartless. Even if I die, I die as the Madam of Marquis Xing and must be buried in the ancestral graveyard of Marquis Xing’s Mansion. No matter what, he can’t go against my request! If he doesn’t want to, I won’t keep his secrets for him!” Marquis Xing snapped.

The corners of her lips were still stained with blood. She looked thin and cruel, like a fierce ghost. She could never look as pretty and delicate as before.

This was her final compromise, as well as her bottom line. It was not that she wanted to rest forever in the ancestral graveyard of the Marquis Xing’s Mansion, but that only when she was buried there could her children enjoy the status as direct descendants.

Shao Jing wanted to push all the blame on her and maintain his innocence. Well, he could! But if he were to divorce her, she would have to fight to the death against him!

There were secrets in Shao Jing’s courtyard, which were discovered by her later on after some careful investigation…

“Yes, Madam. I will go back and report it to His Excellency!” The guard said. Under the shadow of the lamp, she couldn’t see his face clearly, but she knew he was Shao Jing’s most trusted subordinate. Thus, Madam Jiang was sure that these threatening words would inevitably reach Shao Jing’s ears.

Shao Jing threatened her with her children, while she also had something on him. This was the source of her confidence and the reason for her overbearing manner in the past.

Madam Jiang waved her hand and stopped talking. When the guard withdrew silently, the old maid sent him to the door. Then she carefully closed the door after making sure that no others were around.

Madam Jiang sat under the lamp in a trance, clutching the letter in her hand, and her blank eyes fell on an empty place.

A long time ago, she was just a girl who admired her eldest cousin and wanted to marry him. Old Madam had made it clear to her that she was raised in the Duke Xing’s Mansion as her handsome eldest cousin’s wife. As for her inconspicuous second cousin, he was not her type.

Her lightly fat second cousin was also good-looking. Though he was nice and easy-going, he was not the ideal husband in women’s eyes. For Madam Jiang, his eldest cousin was the best.

However, her eldest cousin married Infanta Qinghua in the end. At the time, the result devastated Madam Jiang. She could hardly prevent herself from rushing to the Rui’an Great Elder Princess’s Mansion to question Infanta Qinghua. Why would she take away her husband-to-be? With her noble status, Infanta Qinghua could marry any man she liked. Why must she choose the eldest cousin?

Later, Madam Jiang forced herself to bless her eldest cousin and Infanta Qinghua with a little grievance in front of Old Madam.

So sensible was she that she never cried or protested. She endured all the grievances and didn’t even mention the marriage that Old Madam had talked about. Therefore, Old Madam felt very sorry for her and immediately decided to let her marry her second son. After she got married, Old Madam liked her even more. She even asked her to handle the housekeeper’s affairs that should have been in the charge of Infanta Qinghua.

How could she be willing to be the second son’s wife? Coincidentally, her second cousin was as ambitious as her. Before she married him, she had always thought that he was a kind person. But ever since she married him, she realized she fell into the common error of judging by appearances. Shao Jing was definitely not as amiable as he looked. His friendly image was used as his cover.

The two of them became partners and began their long-term plans. At first, Madam Jiang provoked the relationship between Old Madam and Infanta Qinghua step by step. Then, under much pressure, Infanta Qinghua lost the baby in her belly. The relations between Old Madam, her eldest son, and Infanta Qinghua deteriorated to their worst. Eventually, they drove the first branch away…

At that time, Madam Jiang was full of hatred and happiness. In the future, the Duke Xing’s Mansion would belong to the second branch and be in the charge of her!

Old Madam had promised to give it all to her. Thinking of this, she did not feel guilty at all. Infanta Qinghua was the one who had robbed her of everything. There is divine justice, after all. Those who robbed will have to return every single penny. Everything in Duke Xing’s Mansion belonged to her. Old Madam had promised to give them to her a long time ago.

If Old Madam regretted making such a promise, she might as well take everything back by herself.

It was all because of Infanta Qinghua that her eldest cousin had an accident. If he had not married Infanta Qinghua and married her instead, such a tragedy would not have happened. She would not have been as useless as Infanta Qinghua, who failed to win over Old Madam. In particular, she would not have left home because of this. Infanta Qinghua, who suffered misfortune in the end, should be responsible for all of this. It was also Infanta Qinghua’s fault that led to her eldest cousin’s death.

As a result, Madam Jiang felt at ease and justified when enjoying everything she got and gradually forgot the man she had fallen in love with. At this moment, under such a dim and solitary light, she recalled the handsome figure of her eldest cousin. If she had married him, he would not have abandoned her, no matter what happened. Her tears fell silently…

Did she regret it? No, never. Madam Jiang always considered herself to be better than Infanta Qinghua. If it weren’t for Infanta Qinghua, her eldest cousin wouldn’t have died. That woman was not a good person, and her daughter was even worse…