Chapter 268: Vile Scheming

Chapter 268: Despicable Scheming

Jiang Shuning was tending to her herbs in the courtyard, while heavy dark clouds pressed down over the prince’s manor, filling the air with the damp, stuffy breath of an impending storm.

A flicker of anxiety stirred in her. She called out, “Lingwu?”

The courtyard was silent, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Normally, the moment she spoke, Lingwu’s figure would appear at once.

Just as she was growing puzzled, a young man in coarse, short work clothes stepped out from behind the flower bed, a look of awkward eagerness on his face.

“Your Highness, Miss Lingwu has been summoned by the steward. Is there anything you need? Let me help you!”

Jiang Shuning recognized him—he was a new gardener who had arrived a few days ago, seemingly in his early twenties, and fairly quick on his feet.

Since Lingwu wouldn't be back for a while, her focus was entirely on the herbs, so she didn't think too much about it. Pointing to the rows of large and small earthen pots lined up along the corridor, she instructed:

“It’s about to rain. These herbs are delicate and can't take the rain. Call someone else and move them all into the eastern side hall.”

Upon hearing this, the young gardener put on a look of reluctance. “Your Highness, that’s... unfortunate. All the other gardeners were called to the west courtyard to take care of the newly transplanted peonies. Right now, I'm the only one in the main courtyard right now. If you want this done fast, maybe... you could lend a hand?”

Jiang Shuning glanced up at the sky. Big raindrops looked like they could fall any second.

These herbs had taken a lot of effort to get; they were precious. If they were ruined by the rain, it would take a great deal of time to replace them.

“Very well,” she nodded, rolling up her sleeves. Together with the gardener, she bent down, each lifting one side of a rather heavy pot.

The very moment she lifted the earthen pot, Xiao Bai, coiled silently around her wrist, shot out like an arrow!

Its body tensed, tongue flicking, cold snake eyes locked on the gardener’s hand, ready to strike.

“Ah!” The gardener yelped as if scared out of his wits. He fell backward, landing heavily on the ground, his face ashen white.

He clearly hadn't expected this gentle-looking princess to have such a fierce white snake on her.

“Xiao Bai!” Jiang Shuning was quick. She grabbed the snake by the neck, just behind the head, and yanked it back.

The snake writhed coldly in her palm, clearly reluctant.

“Don’t be afraid, Xiao Bai isn’t venomous,” Jiang Shuning soothed the startled gardener while gently patting Xiao Bai on the head.

But the gardener was still terrified, pointing at Xiao Bai, stammering: “Your... Your Highness... I... I've been scared of snakes since I was a kid... deathly afraid... Could you... not have it with you?”

Seeing how scared he was and wanting to finish moving the pots, she didn't think twice.

She walked over to a nearby tree, coiled Xiao Bai around a sturdy branch, and stroked its cold little head. “Stay here and behave. I'll be right back.”

Xiao Bai coiled on the branch, red vertical eyes full of frustration, hissing at the gardener like a warning.

Jiang Shuning and the gardener went into the side hall, one after the other.

The hall was rarely used, mainly for storage, and the light was dim.

After all, she was a pampered noble lady, used to nothing more than tending flowers. After carrying just three or four pots in, a fine sweat appeared on her forehead, and her breathing quickened.

She put her hands on her hips, remembering how Lingwu could easily lift a pot with one hand. She couldn't help but smile wryly—those trained in martial arts really did have stronger hands.

The sky was completely overcast. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

With a crash, big raindrops finally started falling, pounding the roof tiles in a clatter.

Jiang Shuning looked at the herbs she had managed to save, a hint of relief rising on her face when suddenly, she felt a tight pressure from behind.

A soft cloth soaked in a strange, pungent scent was clamped over her mouth and nose!

Her pupils shrank in terror. She struggled desperately, but the man had immense strength, holding her in a grip like iron.

She kicked and thrashed, hairpins and jewelry scattering across the floor, but it was useless.

A cloying, sickly sweet scent seeped into her through her nostrils, reaching her limbs and bones.

In just a few breaths, an indescribable heat surged from her core, spreading rapidly throughout her body.

Strength drained from her as if siphoned away. Her legs gave way, and she could barely stand.

Damn, a strong aphrodisiac!

Seeing that she had inhaled enough and her body had gone limp as water, the gardener let go with a sinister smile.

The honest, simple mask was gone, replaced by raw, disgusting greed.

His eyes slithered over her flushed cheeks and neck like greasy snakes. “Tsk, tsk, no wonder you’re the one Prince Jing holds dear to his heart. Such delicate skin—just looking at it gets my blood boiling!”

The moment he finished speaking, he scooped her up and roughly threw her onto a dusty wooden bed in the corner of the hall.

Only then did Jiang Shuning realize that the doors and windows had been shut tight without her noticing. Now, with the heavy rain and thunder outside, no one would notice anything wrong here.

A fire burned inside her, drying her throat, and her reason felt like it was being thrown into the flames, melting away bit by bit.

She fought with all her might to suppress the surging tide of passion, trying to use her last shred of clear thinking to bargain with him: “If you stop now, I can pretend this never happened and spare your life... If the Prince finds out, you'll die without a doubt...”

“Die?” The man let out a manic laugh, stepping closer with a menacing expression. “If I can sleep with a beautiful noble lady like you, I'd be happy to die right now!”

With that, he lunged at her like a wild beast, his rough hands tearing at her elaborate robe.

With a rip, the outer brocade dress was torn open, revealing the white undergarment beneath.

Shame and despair surged over her like a tide, threatening to drown her.

She bit down hard on her lower lip, the metallic taste of blood in her mouth, the sharp pain pulling her scattered senses back for a moment.

Just as the man bent down, his face reeking of sweat about to press against hers, she drove the hairpin she'd been clutching in her palm, with all her remaining strength, deep into his neck!

“Thud—”

The man’s movements halted abruptly. He seemed completely unprepared for this seemingly frail and helpless woman to deliver such a fatal counterattack.

His eyes widened in shock. He stared down in disbelief as blood gushed from his neck like a fountain.

Warm blood splattered across Jiang Shuning’s face. The sickly sweet scent mingled with the aphrodisiac in the air made her nearly retch.

She stared at him, her voice hoarse from both the drug and hatred: “Then go die!”

The man gurgled, the last glimmer of light in his eyes fading fast. His massive body crashed to the floor with a heavy thud beside the bed.

Trembling, Jiang Shuning clutched her torn and disheveled clothes. Struggling with her limp, water-weak body, she crawled to the window, trying to push it open.

But the window wouldn’t budge—as if it had been barred from the outside!

A knot tightened in her chest. Without pausing for breath, she stumbled toward the door, her hands trembling as she tried to pull the latch, but the door might as well have been welded shut with iron and simply would not open.

A bone-chilling cold rose from the soles of her feet, instantly dissipating some of the heat brought on by the drug.

This was not a spur-of-the-moment assault, but a long-planned scheme!

This man must have been secretly placed in the prince's mansion. Whether his plan succeeded or not, as long as the people in the mansion saw her with disheveled clothes, alone with a man in the same room, even if she had done nothing wrong, she'd have no way to clear her name and her reputation would be ruined!

She would never let this despicable scheme succeed!

Jiang Shuning took a deep breath, biting her lip and tongue again, using the searing pain to barely keep her limp body upright.

Then, mustering all her strength, she struggled to lift a potted plant from the ground and hurled it fiercely at the window.