Chapter 4: Ulterior Motives

“A fair trade!”

The Zhangshi needed her help, and she, in turn, needed someone with status and connections to assist her.

Compared to the ten years of torment she had endured, these marks were nothing.

“Moreover,”

Jiang Jin lowered her voice, recalling the earlier chaos.

“His Highness Prince Ning has an excellent physique…”

Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and strong, well-defined abdominal muscles.

“Miss!” Furong instinctively moved to cover Jiang Jin’s mouth upon hearing this.

Such words must not be spoken!

Jiang Jin took Furong’s hand and shook her head. “I won’t say any more.”

On the way back, Jiang Jin still rode in the Shangshu Mansion’s carriage.

However, there was now an additional person driving the carriage.

Leaning against the carriage wall, she recalled the words the Zhangshi had spoken as she left.

“Miss Jiang, I have already covered your tracks.”

“On your return, I will also send someone to escort you.”

“If you have any needs, you can use this seal to send someone to Prince Ning’s Mansion to find me.”

Jiang Jin picked up the seal and unconsciously touched the jade pendant hidden in her bosom.

It wasn’t that she distrusted the people of Prince Ning’s Mansion, but the weight of this jade pendant was far greater than that of the seal.

Moreover, according to the Zhangshi, the incident of Prince Ning being poisoned was not something to be publicly disclosed.

And her appearance… was also unexpected by the one who had poisoned him.

Sending someone to protect her was both for her safety and to prevent her from falling into the hands of villains, who might then use her as a weapon to attack Prince Ning.

As Jiang Jin pondered this, she turned to Furong and instructed, “What happened today must not be told to anyone, not even my mother!”

Furong agreed and was about to raise her hand to swear an oath.

Jiang Jin gently pulled her hand down and shook her head. “I trust you.”

In her life… only Furong truly cared for her.

Remembering the chaotic events of her past life, Jiang Jin frowned, her face turning slightly pale.

Furong immediately grew anxious. “Miss?”

“I’m fine.” Jiang Jin waved her hand dismissively, then suddenly thought of something and whispered quietly to Furong.

As Furong listened, her eyes widened in shock.

But soon, her gaze turned resolute.

By the time they returned to the Shangshu Mansion, it was already dark.

With Furong’s support, Jiang Jin stepped down from the carriage. As soon as she steadied herself, she saw the gatekeeper hurrying over.

“Third Miss, you’ve finally returned!”

No sooner had the gatekeeper spoken than an elderly maid suddenly emerged from inside the gate.

“Third Miss, the mistress has been worried sick waiting for you all this time! Where have you been? Why are you back so late—”

“Mama Lin.” Jiang Jin spoke up at the right moment, adjusting her cloak. “The weather has turned cold.”

Mama Lin was taken aback and was about to say more when she saw Jiang Jin already stepping past her into the mansion.

Following behind, Mama Lin lightly patted her own mouth.

Upon entering the inner courtyard, Mama Lin had assumed Jiang Jin would go to see Lady Jiang, Lady Shen. But as they walked, she realized something was amiss.

Quickening her pace, she stepped in front of Jiang Jin, blocking her path.

“Third Miss, you… The mistress has been worried about you all day and is still waiting for you in Xuesong Studio!”

Jiang Jin glanced at her, her eyes weary.

“Then please inform my mother that I visited my eldest sister today and am feeling sorrowful. I cannot bear to stir up her grief as well.”

Upon hearing this, Mama Lin opened her mouth, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Seeing how truly haggard Jiang Jin looked, she decided not to press further. She stepped aside, clearing the way.

After returning to Qinghe Courtyard, Jiang Jin was greeted by Fu Ju, another senior maid in the courtyard.

She helped Jiang Jin remove her cloak and asked with concern, “Where did you go today, miss? Why did you return so late? I was quite worried.”

Jiang Jin said nothing, only walking over to sit on the couch.

She picked up the teapot from the small table to pour herself some tea, but upon lifting it, she found it surprisingly light.

“Fu Ju, how long have you been serving by my side?”

Jiang Jin set down the teapot, asking as if casually.

Fu Ju smiled, her eyes curving, “I came to serve you six years ago, miss. At that time, you had just returned from Jingzhou. The eldest young lady was worried you didn’t have enough attendants, so she sent me to serve you.”

“Yes, you originally served my eldest sister. In principle, you should have been the most reliable in serving both me and my eldest sister!”

As she spoke, Jiang Jin’s eyes suddenly turned cold.

“But why—why did you secretly take some of the things my eldest sister sent me every time!”

Fu Ju was so frightened she knelt on the ground, hurriedly defending herself, “Miss, who told you such nonsense? I have always been loyal to you, how could I steal your things!”

“I am truly wronged!”

Jiang Jin looked at her coldly, memories from her past life continuously surfacing in her mind.

In the past… because Fu Ju had been sent by her eldest sister to serve her, she had placed immense trust in her. Whenever matters related to her eldest sister arose, she would always assign them to Fu Ju.

After being married off by her parents to the Yong’an Marquis Mansion, she had specifically brought Fu Ju along and, at her request, allowed her to take special care of her little nephew Yuan’an.

She had thought that, given how well her eldest sister had treated Fu Ju in the past, Fu Ju would be more dedicated than others.

But she never expected that, from the very beginning, Fu Ju had come to her with the intention of using Yuan’an to climb higher.

At the time, she had wondered why Yuan’an, who had always sweetly called her “maternal aunt” whenever he saw her before, would look at her so timidly, wanting to be close yet also fearful.

If it hadn’t been for Fu Ju later causing Yuan’an to fall seriously ill in order to keep the Heir of Yong’an Marquis by her side, Jiang Jin would never have known that the one who had let the wolf into the house—was herself!

“Miss!” Furong knocked and entered, followed by the “maid” previously assigned by the Zhangshi to protect her.

The two approached and presented two brocade boxes to Jiang Jin.

Furong opened the boxes, revealing inside some precious jewelry and accessories, as well as—a sachet!

Jiang Jin frowned, picking up the sachet.

With just one glance, she recognized its original owner!

Exchanging a look with Furong, Furong turned to Fu Ju and sneered coldly, “Fu Ju, these items were all found in your room!”

“You say others are slandering you, but I’d like to see who could produce such valuable jewelry just to frame you!”

Fu Ju had already panicked upon seeing the brocade boxes, and now, hearing Furong’s words, her heart sank even further.

She had hidden them so carefully…

Fu Ju’s eyes darted around as she hurriedly explained, “Miss, these things… were bestowed upon me by the eldest young lady when she was still alive. I couldn’t bear to wear them, so I saved them up over the years.”

“I wouldn’t dare steal from my master even with ten times the courage! I beg you to investigate fairly!”

“Besides, the eldest young lady trusted me deeply. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have sent me to serve you back then.”

Fu Ju spoke, kowtowing again with tears streaming down her face.

“Miss, this servant truly is wronged!”

Jiang Jin listened, her fingers clenching tighter and tighter.

The more Fu Ju mentioned her elder sister, the more the hatred in her heart became impossible to conceal.

She gripped the sachet and flung it before Fu Ju.

“You say my elder sister trusted you most—so much that she could have given you her husband’s personal sachet?”