Chapter 53 No Divorce—Only Widowhood!

Chapter 53: No Divorce Here, Only Widowhood!

Afraid Xiao Huaijin might get the wrong idea, Jiang Shuning quickly explained, "It's not that I distrust your capabilities. It's just that my cousin's death is too suspicious. If Your Highness were to intervene and it were discovered by those with ulterior motives, I'm afraid it would be even harder for me to prove my innocence."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Huaijin's expression softened slightly. "That was presumptuous of me."

They talked a little longer before reluctantly parting ways.

Not far off, a eunuch had watched the whole exchange, then turned and hurried towards the Lin'ge Palace.

"Miss Jiang and Fifth Brother?" A meaningful smile curled on Third Prince Xiao Xiuzhan's lips. "This Jiang family's legitimate daughter truly is a femme fatale. Not only did she entangle Fourth Brother, but now she's also latched onto Fifth Brother. Tsk tsk, could she be a fox spirit reborn? Even this prince was nearly taken in by her."

The eunuch promptly flattered, "Your Highness has discerning eyes. How could demons and monsters ever get close?"

"Since she is a demon, naturally, she should be unleashed on the other princes. Let her ruin as many as she can!" Xiao Xiuzhan turned and instructed his attendant beside him, "Go investigate whether this matter is related to Fourth Brother. If it is, immediately present the evidence to Father Emperor. If it's not..."

He let out a cold laugh. "Then forge some evidence and still link this matter to Fourth Brother!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" The attendant accepted the order and left.

The eunuch fawned on the side, "Your Highness is brilliant! This plan will surely bring down the Fourth Prince completely!"

"A lowly bastard from Nanyue dares to compete with this prince for Father Emperor's favor? What wishful thinking!" A glint of malice flashed in Xiao Xiuzhan's eyes.

—

In the Jinghe Palace, Xiao Lingchuan was plagued by nightmares.

He was back in the third month of his previous life's marriage to Jiang Shuning.

That day, she suddenly asked him softly, "Does Your Highness not like your concubine?"

His gaze lingered on her slightly trembling red lips. The image of her weeping beneath him the previous night surfaced in his mind, sending a surge of heat through him. Yet the words he uttered were cold and hard as ice. "Why do you ask?"

Jiang Shuning lowered her eyes, concealing the turbulent emotions within, and whispered, "Your concubine merely thought that if Your Highness does not like me, you could grant me a letter of divorce. I will never trouble Your Highness again in the future."

These words instantly sparked his fury.

He abruptly grabbed her wrist, pulling her close. His gaze was as cold as frost. "Wasn't it you who schemed tirelessly to marry me? What, you can't take it after only three months? Let me tell you, this marriage was something you begged for. Whether you want it or not, you must keep it! There is no divorce here, only widowhood!"

Upon hearing this, her eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she trembled.

From then on, she never mentioned divorce in front of him again, and he thought she had given up the idea of leaving.

Who would have thought she would leave him in such a resolute manner?

On the day she died, she vomited copious amounts of blood that couldn't be stopped. By the time the imperial physician arrived, she had already breathed her last in his arms.

The imperial physician said the poison in her body was very special. It needed to be taken continuously for over a year for the toxins to accumulate to a lethal level.

Even missing a single day's dose would not have led to her death.

He never imagined that to leave him, she could go to such lengths.

When he woke, a dull ache still lingered in his chest. He couldn't tell if it was the wound hurting or his heart.

"Fourth Brother, you're finally awake! You really scared me just now!" The Seventh Prince stepped forward, looking exasperated. "You're injured this badly, yet you still stubbornly changed clothes to see sister-in-law? Would it kill you to show a little weakness occasionally?"

Only then did Xiao Lingchuan realize Jiang Shuning was not in the hall.

"Where is Miss Jiang?"

"She's gone." The Seventh Prince grinned, seeking credit. "Don't worry, Fourth Brother, I didn't let her leave empty-handed. I had her brew a bowl of tonic soup in the kitchen. It's still warm. I'll have a servant bring it; you should drink it quickly!"

Xiao Lingchuan frowned deeply. "Why did she leave? Didn't she ask me to help investigate the truth behind her cousin's murder?"

"She didn't mention it! After you fainted, she was about to leave. It was only because I insisted she make you soup that I let her go."

"...You're quite resourceful when it comes to these useless things."

The Seventh Prince was shocked. "Fourth Brother, are you blaming me?"

Xiao Lingchuan turned to Ling Feng. "Go investigate the cause of Jiang Tianci's death. Find out who exactly is behind it!"

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

The Seventh Prince, however, felt uneasy. "Fourth Brother, Father Emperor just punished you for framing Jiang Tianci. Now that he's suddenly been assassinated, if you investigate and someone with ulterior motives uses this to make a big deal out of it, claiming Jiang Tianci's death is related to you, you'll truly be unable to wash yourself clean even if you jumped into the Yellow River!"

"If I don't investigate, who else can help her?" Xiao Lingchuan's expression was somber. "She doesn't have many people to turn to in the first place."

"Fourth Brother, you help her so much, yet she's unwilling to marry you. Wouldn't that just pave the way for another man in the future? Are you okay with that?"

Xiao Lingchuan thought of the dream from his previous life, and intense pain surged in his heart once more.

"Naturally, I'm not willing. But we can't force it either." He said gravely, "Before completely getting a handle on her weakness, I cannot be too forceful."

In their previous life, to leave him, she even callously abandoned her parents and went to the underworld alone. This shows her parents are not enough to bind her.

In this life, if he wants to keep her by his side forever, he must find something or someone that can restrain her for a lifetime.

Before that, he cannot reveal even a hint of his ambition, or else he might scare her away.

—

Jiang Shuning involuntarily shivered inside the carriage.

Ling Wu asked with concern, "Miss, is it too cold?"

Jiang Shuning shook her head. "I don't know. I just suddenly felt a chill."

It was as if she had been targeted by some terrifying beast, making her feel extremely uncomfortable and sending shivers down her spine.

As soon as she alighted from the carriage, she saw the steward waiting at the entrance.

"Young Miss, you've finally returned. The Master is waiting for you in the study."

Jiang Shuning nodded and proceeded to the study accompanied by Ling Wu.

The moment she stepped into the study and the door closed behind her, Jiang Shuning knelt with a thud before Chancellor Jiang. "Father, Second Brother's death was absolutely not my doing. Please believe me, Father."

"Silly child, Father knows it wasn't you. Get up quickly." Chancellor Jiang hurried forward to help her up.

Jiang Shuning's eyes welled with tears. "Father, do you truly believe me?"

"Of course. You are my daughter, kind-hearted since childhood. No matter how much you disliked Tianci, you would never have harmed him. Your Second Uncle and Aunt are heartbroken over losing their son and are speaking nonsense. You must not take it to heart." Chancellor Jiang sighed. "Today, I have already given half of the family business to your Second Uncle as he demanded. If it can soothe his grief over losing his son, it's worth it."

Hearing her father say this, Jiang Shuning felt even more wronged, and tears streamed from her eyes. "I already had Ling Wu find someone to help search for evidence of Second Brother's gambling in Xuzhou. I only wanted to prevent Second Brother from being adopted into the Prime Minister's residence; I never intended to harm his life!"

Chancellor Jiang frowned. "Was it you who found this evidence?"

"What evidence?" Jiang Shuning was completely in the dark.

Chancellor Jiang pulled her to the desk and handed her a piece of paper. "This suddenly appeared on my desk a few nights ago. It's an IOU your second brother was forced to sign last year in Xuzhou after running up huge gambling debts. To be cautious, I sent a trusted aide to Xuzhou and confirmed the IOU is genuine. Tianci's gambling addiction makes him unfit to inherit this household. I planned to inform your uncle and aunt today, but I never expected Tianci would meet such a violent end."

Jiang Shuning stared at the IOU, shaking her head in bewilderment. "If Ling Wu had found such crucial evidence for me, she wouldn't have kept it from me. This definitely wasn't found by her."

"Then who could it be?" Chancellor Jiang asked gravely.

A name popped into Jiang Shuning's head, and she couldn't help but clench her fist.

No, it couldn't be.

If he had possessed this evidence all along, why would he go to such elaborate lengths to frame Jiang Tianci and let the Third Prince catch him red-handed?

But who else could have done it besides him?

Xiao Lingchuan was becoming more of a mystery to her by the day.