"One bow to the heavens and the earth!"
"Two bows to the parents!"
"The exchange of vows between husband and wife!"
"The ceremony is complete, escort the newlyweds to the bridal chamber."
Jiang Rong, surrounded by a crowd of servants, was led to the bridal chamber. Removing her veil, she scanned the room briefly.
Dragon and phoenix candles cast dancing shadows, and the canopy exuded a fragrant aroma. With the servants withdrawn, Xie Lingxi was outside offering toasts. At this moment, only she remained, along with her maid who never left her side.
From her pocket, Jiang Rong retrieved a small bottle and handed it to Yingchun. "Take this, pour the powder into the wine."
"Mistress, what's inside?" Yingchun asked curiously as she emptied the powder into the wine.
"Crimson Crane, a poison that seals the throat upon contact with blood."
"Ah... then you..." Yingchun's face registered shock. "Are you planning to poison the crown prince?"
Jiang Rong smiled faintly. "Not me, but you." With a sudden shout towards the door, she cried, "Someone, the crown prince is being poisoned!"
Xie Lingxi hurriedly entered.
"Husband, I lifted the veil and peeked into our bridal chamber quietly, only to find this maid putting poison in our wine. She was plotting against us!" Jiang Rong, looking frightened, clung to Xie Lingxi's sleeve, appearing fragile and pitiful.
Yingchun knelt on the ground, banging her head like pounding garlic. "I didn't! Mistress, it was you who gave me Crimson Crane! I dare not harm the crown prince!"
"Conspiring to murder one's husband is a heinous crime. Why would I court death? Besides, if I wanted the crown prince dead, why would I expose your crime?" Jiang Rong argued logically.
Yingchun never expected Jiang Rong to set her up like this. Panicked, she pleaded, "I'm innocent! Mistress, you framed me! Crown Prince, see the truth!"
"Take her away and execute her by beating." Xie Lingxi's voice was cold as he cut off her pleas.
"I'm innocent!" Yingchun cried desperately, but her mouth was sealed by the guards as they dragged her out.
In an instant, only the two of them remained in the room.
In the previous life, Xie Lingxi had executed Yingchun. With Jiang Rong poisoned, only the closest maid could carry out the deed. He killed Yingchun and replaced her with another maid by Jiang Rong's side. The result was Jiang Rong avenging the maid's death by stabbing him.
They had missed each other in a lifetime of misunderstandings and entanglements.
Jiang Rong looked up at the person before her. Indeed, she vowed not to let the tragedy repeat itself in this life.
Xie Lingxi also stared at Jiang Rong. What was she planning by killing her maid? What did she want?
But he didn't want to delve into her secrets. As long as she stayed in the North Palace, under his protection, he feared she might only pretend to be obedient and yearn to escape.
"Husband, it's getting late. Shall we..." Jiang Rong's face blushed slightly as she spoke.
A maid's anxious voice came from outside the door. "Your Highness, something's wrong! Second Miss suddenly started spitting blood. Please come and see."
Jiang Rong's eyes darkened. Oh, disturbing our bridal chamber, aren't they?
........................................
North Mansion, Leisure Pavilion.
A woman dressed in a robe embroidered with goose-yellow butterflies and hibiscus sat in front of the dressing table, instructing a maid to apply white powder to her face.
"Cousin cried so miserably. She's the only sister-in-law I acknowledge. I won't let Jiang Rong, that wicked woman, snatch my brother away!" She was Xie Ruoqiao, the second young miss of the North Mansion and Xie Lingxi's biological sister.
"Miss, please lie down quickly! The Crown Prince is coming!" A maid guarding the door came in to remind her.
Xie Ruoqiao immediately feigned illness, lying on the couch with a blood-stained handkerchief in her hand, tearfully facing the red-clothed man entering the room, "Brother, I'm coughing up blood! Cough, cough, cough—"
Xie Lingxi's gaze paused slightly on her heavily powdered face, and the elderly doctor who followed him immediately stepped forward to check her pulse. After a moment, he looked puzzled, "Miss Xie's pulse seems fine—"
"I... I'm not just ill. Can't you see!" Xie Ruoqiao weakly protested, "I was bumped into!"
Tl: "bumped into" is used metaphorically to convey that someone's fate or fortune was adversely affected or harmed by the actions or influence of another person. It implies a collision or interference between the two individuals' destinies, resulting in negative consequences for one of them.
An elderly nanny beside Xie Ruoqiao stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, the young miss was fine just now, but suddenly she started coughing up blood. This is definitely not an illness, but someone forcefully caused it!"
"Then, who is this person?" Xie Ruoqiao asked intentionally.
The nanny replied, "There has never been any trouble in the mansion. Just today, the Crown Prince's consort entered. She lost both her parents at a young age, and her fate is marked with calamity. She's definitely an ominous person! Miss was bumped into by her, and with her fate, not only will she harm the miss, but also your elder brother!"
"What? I can overlook the fact that I'm coughing up blood. But she also wants to harm our ancestors and my brother? How can this be tolerated!" Xie Ruoqiao pretended to be shocked, "This woman must not stay! Brother, send her away quickly! Our Xie family can't withstand her calamity!"
Xie Lingxi watched her performance expressionlessly, feeling no emotional fluctuations inside, and even feeling a bit amused.
Just then, a clear female voice came from outside the door, "Sister, you're mistaken. I am the legitimate wife married into this mansion through proper ceremonies. We've gone through the betrothal gifts, name inquiries, auspicious days, and ceremonial visits. Sister, you might not be familiar with the betrothal gifts since you're not yet married, but the name inquiries involve divining my name at your family's ancestral temple. We received a good fortune hexagram, indicating a harmonious marriage."
"Our Xie ancestors deemed it a great blessing to marry me, recognizing my compatibility with the Prince. Who dares to defy the will of the Xie family ancestors and spread rumors that marrying me is unlucky?"
The room fell silent.
A woman dressed in a bright red wedding gown, with a phoenix crown and trailing veil, walked straight in. Her beauty was captivating, her demeanor elegant and dignified, her thin lips filled with a gentle smile, and a sharpness glinted in her eyes.
Who would dare to separate her from her husband? Those who tried would be killed by her.
"Husband, this old servant was speaking nonsense in front of my sister, deceiving her," Jiang Rong lifted her gaze to the elegant figure, her eyebrows slightly curved, "She deserves to die."
The nanny who spoke earlier almost collapsed to her knees, hastily pleading to Xie Ruoqiao, "Miss, save me!"
