The Double-Chapter 606 - 176: Found (New Announcement)

Xue Huaiyuan accused Princess Yongning on the night when something significant happened in Yanjing City. Early the next morning, the Princess’s Mansion was again besieged by troops, impenetrable as before. Though the mansion had been emptied of treasure and servants earlier in daylight, leaving nothing inside, the commotion at night still drew the attention of the nearby residents.

The morning sunlight did little to hide the stench of blood at the gates of the Princess’s Mansion. The troops would occasionally carry out bodies, some already dead and rotting. Others were alive but so mutilated their faces were unrecognizable, with not a patch of unbroken skin on their bodies.

More and more onlookers gathered, so many that the troops couldn’t disperse them. As a result, by midday, the whole of Yanjing City was abuzz. Princess Yongning, sister to Prince Cheng, had set up a Private Prison in her mansion, filled with those who had displeased her. She kept them imprisoned and tortured them with all kinds of cruelty. The storytellers were vivid in their description, not forgetting to mention the torture devices they saw removed from the site, making even the listeners’ spines chill.

Among those imprisoned by Princess Yongning, some were said to be ministers from the imperial court. Their ranks weren’t high, or their plight would have been more widely known. Most importantly, among those imprisoned was the daughter of the current Grand Secretary, Miss Jiang the Third from the Jiang Family.

This rumor prompted a huge uproar, the news spreading instantaneously and was unstoppable. Miss Jiang the Third’s birth mother, Ji Shuran, may have had an illicit affair to give birth to Jiang Youyao, but Jiang Yuanbai himself had never admitted it—regardless, Jiang Youyao was still Miss Jiang the Third of the Jiang Family. The daughter of the Chief Minister was not like a commoner. Even Princess Yongning, with all her audacity, should have shown some restraint towards the present Grand Secretary. But it was said that when Miss Jiang the Third was rescued, she had gone mad, and had a pearl removed from her eye, a horrifying disfigurement.

People were discussing the issue, first condemning Princess Yongning for her barbaric methods and disrespect for Emperor Hongxiao. During The Late Emperor’s reign, no minister was allowed to establish private prisons. As a princess, her actions showed utter disregard for Emperor Hongxiao. Secondly, what could Miss Jiang the Third have possibly done to provoke such a brutal response from Princess Yongning? Ordinary conflicts should be dealt with minor punishment as a warning. Removing a woman’s pearl like this clearly indicated a desire to prevent her from surviving.

Upon learning of the situation, Prime Minister Jiang Yuanbai rushed to the Princess’s Mansion and took Jiang Youyao back to the Jiang Residence and headed to the palace to see the emperor right away.

Prime Minister Jiang was no ordinary man. His daughter had been harmed to such an extent that he was bound to seek justice. It was not just Princess Yongning—if any royal had inflicted such harm on Jiang Youyao, Jiang Yuanbai would demand an explanation.

First, Xue Huaiyuan had accused Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong of conspiring to murder his wife and abolish his offspring, and now Jiang Yuanbai was asking the emperor for justice to avenge his daughter. One was a princess demoted to a commoner, the other a former top scholar stripped of his position; the public debate was furious, with the consensus that this time, neither could possibly come out unscathed. After all, they had committed an appalling crime that defied full description. If they could actually evade justice, even the heavens wouldn’t tolerate it. freeweɓnovel.cѳm

No matter the rumors outside, inside the Jiang Residence, Jiang Li remained calm.

Last night, someone from the Duke Residence must have let off a Smoke Bamboo in the room with the Private Prison at the Princess’s Mansion, startling the night watch. The troops, thinking it was an assassin, rushed over only to discover the open doors to the Private Prison—a shock that prompted them to report to the imperial court right away. This morning, the court dispatched officers to inspect the site, where they found a variety of implements of torture and prisoners barely clinging to life.

Among the prisoners, one was particularly conspicuous because of the dazzling jewelry around the neck, clearly not something worn by someone from an ordinary household, looking more like a tribute from the palace. The officer in charge was startled, fearing this might be someone significant, so they quickly rescued the individual. After cleaning the face, an accompanying guard recognized the person. Despite having had a pearl removed from an eye, this woman, who was once the pride of Prime Minister Jiang, turned out to be his cherished daughter, Miss Jiang the Third, Jiang Youyao!