Chapter 411: Confronting Jiang Shanshan (Part Four)
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Indeed, Mingzhu couldn’t see any issues. To her, this ring was just an ordinary sapphire ring. The only thing worth mentioning was that the style of the ring was quite unique, and the quality of the gemstone was very good. However, she didn’t believe that Jiang Shanshan reaching out to her was just to ask for a favor.
In her impression, every action, every word, every movement Jiang Shanshan made had a deeper meaning, and she couldn’t afford to let her guard down. Upon inspecting Jiang Shanshan’s whole body, the only thing that seemed suspicious was this ring. She demanded, “Press on your ring firmly! Don’t leave any corners untouched!”
Jiang Shanshan pretended not to understand. “What do you mean by pressing the ring hard? I don’t understand. How about you demonstrate it for me?” She took off the ring, preparing to hand it to Mingzhu.
But as soon as her hand moved, Mingzhu decisively pressed the sleeve arrow.
As the mechanism clicked, Jiang Shanshan instinctively performed a backbend martial arts move, avoiding the first sleeve arrow shot. The arrow flew out and pierced into the door with a “thud,” startling everyone. Donghui rushed in first, shouting, “What’s going on?”
“She was trying to attack me.” Taking advantage of Jiang Shanshan still being off-balance, Mingzhu calmly aimed another arrow at her foot.
The sharp arrow pierced through the calf of Jiang Shanshan’s boot, embedding into the floor. Jiang Shanshan cried out in pain, unable to move, and glared angrily at Mingzhu, finally showing fear in her eyes.
She hadn’t expected that not only had Fu Mingzhu been prepared, but she was also so ruthless. Things were developing in a direction she hadn’t anticipated, and her previous plans were disrupted. She had prepared several contingency plans, intending to make Fu Mingzhu pay if negotiations failed. But Fu Mingzhu was too straightforward and blunt, not playing any tricks, just acting decisively, which threw off all of her plans.
Mingzhu calmly stared at Jiang Shanshan, her imposing aura making it clear that if Jiang Shanshan dared to make any move, she would shoot another arrow at her eyes.
At that moment, Jiang Linlin also rushed in, supporting Jiang Shanshan in panic. Her voice trembled as she asked, “What’s happening? Your Highness, why did you injure my little sister?”
Mingzhu lowered her sleeve to cover the sleeve arrow and said, “Because she tried to harm me.”
“You’re talking nonsense!” Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Shanshan threw the ring into Jiang Linlin’s sleeve, planning to deny everything. “I just wanted to ask you to let me into the mansion to serve Ying Wang. Out of jealousy, you dared to take my life!” Despite the pain, she pointed at Mingzhu’s arm with the sleeve arrow tied on it. “Who would carry such a thing under normal circumstances? It shows you already had murderous intent towards me before you came out!”
“Your Highness, do you have any evidence to prove that Shanshan harmed you?” Although Jiang Linlin didn’t approve of some of her sister’s actions, their relationship was still good when they were at home. She couldn’t just stand by and watch her sister being bullied; otherwise, others would look down on her.
Earlier, when Jiang Linlin and the others were standing outside the door, Mingzhu and Jiang Shanshan had lowered their voices while talking, and Jiang Shanshan’s back was facing them, blocking their view of the actions between the two. Therefore, they really didn’t know what had happened between the two. But now it seemed that Jiang Shanshan was the one who had suffered.
Mingzhu had no intention of explaining to Jiang Linlin. She cleared her throat and signaled to the servants who had crowded in, “Tie up Jiang Shanshan and send her to the Five City Guards Office. She wanted to enter the mansion as a concubine, and when I refused, she sought revenge and tried to harm me!”
Even if they couldn’t find any evidence, the news of Jiang Shanshan, with her status, being tied up and paraded through the streets would still cause a huge sensation. It would stir up the capital for at least a couple of months. By then, it wouldn’t just be a problem for Jiang Shanshan’s future and reputation; even the Changxing Marquis’s mansion would lose face completely.
Jiang Linlin was frantic. “Your Highness, please calm down. Is there a misunderstanding here?”
The servants, however, didn’t care about who was right or wrong; after all, Wangfei’s word was law. Immediately, those who wanted to make a name for themselves rushed over to grab Jiang Shanshan and escort her out. However, Jiang Shanshan’s foot was nailed to the floor and couldn’t move at all. Every movement was torture. She wanted to endure the pain and pull the arrow out herself, but one hand was held by Jiang Linlin, and the other was pulled by the palace servants, leaving her with no room to maneuver.
Mingzhu looked coldly at the blood pooling around Jiang Shanshan’s foot, recalling the scene of the massacre of the Fu family back then, with corpses strewn everywhere, so many people, their blood soaking into the floor and soil, impossible to wash clean. The instigator of all this was the woman in front of her, as poisonous as a snake. They had no enmity, but Jiang Shanshan had never stopped harming her. She wouldn’t let Jiang Shanshan die easily; she would make Jiang Shanshan walk step by step towards death and despair.
Jiang Linlin cried out, “Endure it, I’ll pull it out for you first.” She squatted down and closed her eyes to pull out the arrow for Jiang Shanshan. However, the force of the sleeve arrow was too strong, and it was embedded too deeply in the floor. Jiang Linlin was too scared and couldn’t pull it out. Jiang Shanshan couldn’t bear the pain. She pushed Jiang Linlin away and grabbed the arrow herself, screaming as she pulled it out.
Everyone’s teeth tingled at the sight, but Jiang Shanshan remained expressionless. She looked up at Mingzhu and said softly, “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have offended you, Your Highness, but I didn’t mean to harm you. Can you let me go?”
Mingzhu found it hard to imagine what Jiang Shanshan had been through to become so resilient. Despite being a pampered daughter of a marquis, she could endure such pain and humiliation, even more than a man. Such a person must be terrifying.
Jiang Linlin pleaded with Mingzhu, “She’s young and ignorant. If there’s any offense, please forgive her, Your Highness.” Seeing Mingzhu’s silence, Jiang Linlin became resolute. “If you spare her, Your Highness, it will avoid trouble for your father and brothers, won’t it? There are so many influential people; they are not easy to deal with! Shall we make a desperate move together?”
Although they couldn’t afford to offend the Fu family and Ying Wang, if the Changxing Marquis’s mansion and the Wu Guo Gong’s mansion joined forces and used all their connections to fight desperately, they might still be able to exert heavy pressure on the Fu family and Ying Wang’s mansion.
Zheng Momo was furious. “How dare you offend Wangfei!”
Mingzhu waved her hand lightly. “Let them go.” She wasn’t afraid herself, but Yuwen Chu had to walk a different path, and she needed to think more for him. Killing to stop killing was the most helpless method, and it was of no benefit to the country. Having a good reputation would make things easier to handle.
Mingzhu waved her hand gently. “Let them go.” She wasn’t afraid herself, but Yuwen Chu had to walk that path, and she had to think more for him. Resorting to violence is the most helpless method, it doesn’t benefit the country, having a good reputation makes things much easier when it comes to accomplishing tasks.
Jiang Linlin quickly called the servants to help Jiang Shanshan up. Mingzhu said, “Remember, wherever I am, Jiang Shanshan is not allowed to appear. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being impolite.”
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