Jiang Zhaohua collapsed on the ground, her gaze firmly fixed on Jiang Yunshu.
Jiang Yunshu whispered something into the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord’s ear, and only then did he release her.
Without a hint of pity, she stepped forward in her pearl-adorned shoes, advancing one deliberate step at a time…
Jiang Zhaohua trembled as she stared at her half-sister, who should have been buried underground—her appearance both familiar and strange.
In her past life, Jiang Zhaohua had never spared a glance for her lowborn sister. In this life, armed with the advantage of rebirth, she had regarded Jiang Yunshu with even greater disdain.
The second sister she remembered dressed modestly and elegantly, never drawing attention when in the company of others.
Today, at first glance, Jiang Yunshu still appeared understated—a pale yellow blouse, pine-green skirt, and a faintly embroidered silk shawl.
Aside from a white jade comb tucked into her jet-black hair, she wore no other ornaments.
Jiang Yunshu must have rushed here in haste, with no time for elaborate grooming.
Yet upon closer inspection, every piece she wore was extraordinary.
Not just the white jade in her hair or the pearls on her shoes—even the fabric of her gown was unlike anything found in the Marquis's Mansion.
Jiang Zhaohua, the Marquis, Lady Hou… every pair of eyes was glued to Jiang Yunshu.
But Jiang Yunshu didn’t spare a single glance for those kneeling or sprawled on the ground. She strode straight toward the western woodshed.
A moment later, the Marquis was the first to realize—Jiang Yunshu was heading for the interrogation chamber where Concubine Qiao was being tortured. She had come for Concubine Qiao!
“Quick… hurry!” the Marquis shouted, his voice shaking.
They had to hide the torture instruments! Wipe the blood from Concubine Qiao’s body! Scrub the stains from the chamber floor…
The Marquis had never paid Jiang Yunshu, a mere concubine’s daughter, any mind before. But now she had somehow gained the favor of the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord—clearly, she was under his protection!
If she saw Concubine Qiao half-dead…
But it was already too late.
The Marquis belatedly realized that Jiang Yunshu’s direct path to the chamber meant she already knew its location…
As for how she knew, cold sweat broke out across his back.
All the nobility of the capital were under the secret surveillance of the Eastern Depot. Rumors claimed that not even the most intimate whispers between husband and wife escaped their ears…
Now it was the Marquis of Xiping’s Mansion’s turn.
The Marquis had no time to clean the chamber, nor did he dare stop Jiang Yunshu as she stormed in, leading a group of imperial physicians.
The carriages that had followed the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord’s carriage were filled with the finest doctors from the Imperial Hospital.
The Marquis spotted the physicians most skilled in treating wounds and internal bleeding—even the head of the Imperial Hospital, who usually attended only to the palace and had refused to come when the Marquise’s mother was gravely ill—all trailing behind Jiang Yunshu.
The moment Jiang Yunshu pushed open the woodshed door, she saw Concubine Qiao lying in a pool of blood, her eyes shut.
For a heartbeat, she couldn’t breathe.
A physician stepped forward to check her pulse. “She’s still alive.” He immediately slipped a life-preserving pill into Concubine Qiao’s mouth.
Jiang Yunshu exhaled sharply, her legs nearly giving way. She swayed slightly before colliding with a warm chest behind her.
The physicians swiftly worked to stop Concubine Qiao’s bleeding and treat her injuries.
Just then, Concubine Qiao’s eyes fluttered open. Her dazed gaze drifted past the unfamiliar faces before her, finally settling on Jiang Yunshu.
“Yunshu!” Concubine Qiao’s face lit up with joy.
“So the underworld is real… Have you been waiting for me all this time?”
Her expression dimmed. “Yunshu, I was useless… I couldn’t avenge you…”
Jiang Yunshu burst into tears. Concubine Qiao was bleeding everywhere—she didn’t dare touch her, only clutching her fingertips.
“Auntie, you’re not dead! You’re alive!”
“We’re both still alive!”
Concubine Qiao’s eyes shone with sudden brilliance, her lips trembling too much to speak, but her face grew paler by the second.
Seeing this, the physician quickly interjected, “Miss Jiang, this lady’s vitality is nearly exhausted. She must not be agitated!”
Jiang Yunshu’s face changed at his words. As he said, she shouldn’t have told Concubine Qiao they were alive—she shouldn’t even have let her see her. The physicians should have treated her in silence.
Panicked, she turned to the physician. “How can we fix this? Please, save her!”
After a moment’s thought, the physician replied, “The best course now is for me to induce a temporary coma with acupuncture, then slowly restore her vitality with medicine.”
It was the most effective treatment, but the physician knew many families would refuse.
A critically injured loved one slipping into unconsciousness was a terrifying prospect.
To his surprise, Jiang Yunshu agreed without hesitation. “I trust you. Do whatever is best.”
The physician administered the needles, and Concubine Qiao’s eyes slowly closed, her breathing steadying.
With a questioning glance at Xie Lin and Jiang Yunshu, the physician said, “It would be best to move her to a clean room for further treatment.”
Given Concubine Qiao’s precarious state, the physicians had acted immediately in the chamber. Now, they awaited instructions on where to relocate her.
Since seeing Concubine Qiao drenched in blood, Jiang Yunshu’s mind had gone numb. Without thinking, she asked, “Can she endure the journey back to the palace by carriage?”
Xie Lin, who had remained silent since their arrival at Anping Marquis Mansion, suddenly let out a low, chilling laugh.
“Has the Lady already claimed Weiyang Palace as her own?”
“Taking whomever she pleases back with her?”
His laughter was icy, sending a shiver down Jiang Yunshu’s spine. She snapped back to reality.
Xie Lin was the master of Weiyang Palace—how could she presume to bring Concubine Qiao there without his permission?
She had been utterly foolish… Even her own survival depended on Xie Lin’s whims—he decided whether she lived or died.
Even if Xie Lin allowed it, she wouldn’t dare take Concubine Qiao back!
What kind of place was Weiyang Palace?
She couldn’t even manage to send Taoye and Zhezhi away—how could she drag Concubine Qiao into that den of wolves?
What had possessed her to think of bringing her back?
Had Xie Lin’s music during their dances addled her mind? Or had the endless stream of treasures dazzled her into stupidity?
Jiang Yunshu dug her nails into her palm. She must never forget how dangerous Xie Lin was.
“Take Concubine Qiao back to her own quarters,” Xie Lin said, his gaze lingering on Jiang Yunshu. In her panic, her true instincts had surfaced—her unconscious choice just now…
Had surprised him.
Xie Lin had agreed to save Concubine Qiao on a whim, out of idle curiosity.
But Jiang Yunshu’s reaction made him feel it hadn’t been a waste after all.
