Chapter 41 Jealousy

Chapter 41: Jealousy

"Fourth Brother, please calm yourself! Perhaps my sister-in-law just went to pay respects to our Imperial Grandmother!" the Seventh Prince cautiously advised.

Xiao Lingchuan shot him a glance, his tone indifferent. "Who said I was angry?"

The Seventh Prince was left speechless, muttering inwardly: Fourth Brother, why must you say one thing and mean another?

Look at your expression—it's more terrifying than the King of Hell himself, and you still claim you're not angry?!

Ever since discovering that spies from Nanyue were secretly gathering intelligence within the palace, Xiao Lingchuan had stationed several hidden guards there to keep tabs on palace affairs.

Now, summoned by him, the hidden guards hurried to report.

"Reporting to Your Highness, the Fourth Prince, Miss Jiang went to Consort Rong's palace today," one hidden guard stated.

"Consort Rong?" Xiao Lingchuan's face darkened abruptly, his tone turning icy. "What was she doing at Consort Rong's?"

"Your Highness, Miss Jiang went to teach Princess Ronghua archery. His Highness, the Fifth Prince, was also at Consort Rong's palace today," the guard replied respectfully.

Xiao Lingchuan pressed his thin lips together, his face filled with menace.

He recalled the last time Jiang Shuning knelt before him, begging him to help her seek revenge, the provocative scene of her stripping bare.

He kind of regretted playing the gentleman that time.

Seeing his terrifyingly gloomy expression, the Seventh Prince hurriedly tried to smooth things over. "Perhaps Sister-in-law just agreed to Consort Rong's request. You know, Fourth Brother, how much Rong Hua loves horseback riding and archery... Fifth Brother probably just happened to be at Consort Rong's..."

"Ling Feng!" Xiao Lingchuan, as if not hearing the Seventh Prince's words, coldly ordered, "Overtake Miss Jiang's carriage and deliver a message: she must come to the palace to see me tomorrow!"

The archery skills he personally taught her were not meant for her to use to attract admirers!

"Yes, Your Highness!" Ling Feng acknowledged the order and left.

The Seventh Prince returned to the table, picked up a teacup, and gulped down a mouthful to calm his nerves.

So, Sister-in-law ultimately chose Fifth Brother after all.

Poor Fourth Brother, how heartbroken he must be!

Meeting Xiao Lingchuan's bloodshot, cold, and severe peach-blossom eyes, the Seventh Prince suddenly started, silently adding in his heart: Though Fourth Brother is pitiable, the way he gets jealous is truly terrifying!

—

Jiang Shuning sat upright inside the carriage returning to the ministerial residence. As the carriage reached the busiest street in the capital, it jolted to a sudden halt, stopping right in the middle of the road.

Her heart tightened. The last time the carriage stopped for no reason, she nearly encountered an assassination, an incident that still made her nervous.

She instinctively reached for the concealed sleeve crossbow fastened within her sleeve and glanced at Ling Wu beside her.

"Lao Yang, what happened?" Ling Wu asked the coachman sternly.

"Young Miss, Miss Ling, allow this humble servant to go down and check!" Lao Yang replied.

Before his words faded, a sharp, shrill male shriek suddenly pierced the clamor of the marketplace: "You hit someone! The ministerial residence's carriage hit someone!"

Lao Yang, both helpless and furious, retorted, "Young master, my carriage clearly didn't touch you! How did you end up lying by the roadside yourself?"

Ling Wu lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and saw the man rolling on the ground, throwing a tantrum, his voice loud and piercing. "You hit someone and still want to deny it? I don't care, you must give me an explanation today!"

Ling Wu snorted coldly, forcefully pulling aside the curtain, her gaze falling like a blade upon the man feigning injury on the ground.

"Looking at your vigorous energy, how do you seem injured at all? Aren't you just trying to stage a scam to extort us?"

As soon as she finished speaking, several tough-looking men suddenly emerged from the street side, surrounding them together and shouting at the top of their lungs: "Come and see! The ministerial residence's legitimate young lady's carriage hit someone, not only refusing to admit it but also turning around to accuse the victim! Is there no justice left?"

Their shouts quickly drew the surrounding commoners to gather, pointing and whispering at the carriage.

Ling Wu's face turned pale with anger. She was about to step down from the carriage to argue with those ruffians when Jiang Shuning grabbed her arm.

She whispered, "Don't be rash! These hooligans are clearly targeting me. Be careful not to fall into their trap!"

Hearing this, Ling Wu suppressed her rage, sat back in her seat, and said coldly, "In that case, let's go to the authorities! Let the officials judge this fairly! If we truly hit someone, we won't hesitate to pay whatever compensation is due!"

"Compensation? Unnecessary!" The man lying on the ground sneered, flipped over, stood up, dusted off his clothes, and revealed a rogue's smirk. "As long as your young lady steps down from the carriage and personally apologizes to me, this matter will be settled!"

"That's right! Get down quickly and apologize to our young master!" Several accomplices clamored as they stepped forward, aggressive and menacing, even reaching out to lift the carriage curtain.

Ling Wu gritted her teeth in fury. With everyone watching, if she were to teach these ruffians a lesson, she feared they would instead pin the label of "the ministerial residence's young lady bullying others with her influence" on them, needlessly damaging Jiang Shuning's reputation.

Jiang Shuning calmly scanned the noisy crowd outside the carriage.

Suddenly, she pulled out a handful of broken silver from her sleeve and flung it forcefully toward the front of the carriage.

Silver light flashed as the broken silver scattered like rain onto the street.

The eyes of the onlookers lit up. With exclamations, they pounced on the ground to scramble for the coins, instantly throwing the scene into chaos.

The ruffians were jostled and shoved, stumbling about, no longer able to attend to lifting the carriage curtain.

Ling Wu reacted swiftly. Taking advantage of the confusion, she climbed onto the horse, sharply pulled the reins, turned the horse around, and galloped off toward another street. The coachman quickly followed, guarding alongside the carriage.

Once the carriage entered a quiet street, Ling Wu slipped back inside, her expression grave. "Young Miss, do you know the origins of those people just now?"

Jiang Shuning shook her head slightly, her gaze steady. "No. But I am clear that their sole purpose, from start to finish, was to lure me out of the carriage."

As long as she didn't follow their scheme, they couldn't plot against her.

Jiang Shuning didn't consider herself particularly clever, but having died once in her previous life, if she still hadn't learned some caution, that would truly be a wasted life.

Upon returning to the ministerial residence, Jiang Shuning unexpectedly ran into Jiang Yaozhen right at the entrance.

The moment Jiang Yaozhen saw her alight from the carriage, clothes neat and hairpins undisturbed, her initially expectant expression instantly froze, the disappointment in her eyes nearly overflowing.

Didn't Jiang Tianci say he found people to tear her clothes off in the street? How come...

Seeing that Jiang Yaozhen seemed to be waiting for her, Jiang Shuning couldn't help but ask, "Is there something you need, younger sister?"

Jiang Yaozhen hurriedly concealed the disappointment on her face, forcing a light cough to appear nonchalant. "Elder sister visits the palace quite frequently. Those who don't know might think elder sister is the prospective Prince's Consort!"

Jiang Shuning understood inwardly—so she was afraid she was going to the palace to seduce the Third Prince.

"Younger sister, rest assured. No matter how often I go to the palace, I will not develop any improper thoughts toward the Third Prince," she said, leaning close to Jiang Yaozhen's ear and lowering her voice. "What younger sister treasures like a jewel, I actually don't fancy in the slightest. I find it dirty!"

She deliberately emphasized the word "dirty," glancing with a half-smile at Jiang Yaozhen's instantly ashen face.

"You!" Jiang Yaozhen trembled with rage but was powerless to retort, only able to stamp her foot fiercely.

Watching Jiang Shuning's leisurely departing figure, her eyes filled with venomous resentment, her fingernails almost digging into her flesh.

Jiang Shuning, you just wait! One day I'll trample you underfoot!

Let's see how you'll keep up that high-and-mighty act then!

Ling Feng, who had originally been following Jiang Shuning's carriage to deliver a message, witnessed that disgraceful street farce firsthand.

He discreetly tailed the troublemakers. Once they reached a secluded alley, he struck like a ghost, knocking them out one by one, dragging them to an abandoned temple, and tying them up securely.

When the men came to, Ling Feng mercilessly beat them, demanding the true purpose of their actions.

The leader, his face a swollen, bruised mess, cried out for mercy and quickly confessed: "We were hired to lure the Prime Minister's trueborn daughter out of her carriage. In the chaos, we were to tear her clothes and publicly ruin her reputation, so she'd be unmarriageable to any noble house!"

Hearing this, Ling Feng's eyes turned icy cold, his fists clenched with a creaking sound. "Who hired you?"

"Have mercy, sir! It was... it was the Jiang family's second young master, Jiang Tianci!" The man trembled in terror, his voice shaking as he revealed the name.

Ling Feng left the men in the temple and spurred his horse back to the palace to report to Xiao Lingchuan.

In Jinghe Palace, Xiao Lingchuan's expression darkened instantly upon hearing the report, a storm seeming to gather in his eyes. "Jiang Tianci? What gall!"

Ling Feng promptly said, "Your Highness, with your permission, I'll go capture Jiang Tianci and teach him a lesson!"

"Wait." Xiao Lingchuan raised a hand to stop him, his gaze deep and contemplative. "Let's hold off for now. I'll see her tomorrow and decide then."

The Seventh Prince nearby smiled meaningfully. "Right, perfect chance to score some points with sister-in-law. She'll surely be overflowing with gratitude!"

"Quiet!" Xiao Lingchuan shot him a sidelong glance.