Chapter 313: The Most Bitter Thing in the World
Prisons have KPIs too.
Under Prime Minister Lu’s rule this year, the quota had actually been exceeded.
As a result, Prime Minister Lu himself became part of that KPI.
There was another prisoner.
It was a bit awkward.
It was an old lady.
The person she offended had a very prominent background.
The people visiting her also had significant backgrounds.
Seventh Princes Consort Jiang Yuluan had brought her niece, Jiang Wan, to the prison to visit.
Because of some bribes, the environment wasn’t too bad.
It was a single cell.
There was a bed, a chamber pot, and a curtain.
It had all the necessary amenities, except for servants to wait on her.
But just that lack of servants was enough to be infuriating.
Old Madam Jiang had never wronged herself in terms of food, clothing, housing, or transportation in her entire life. She was used to being waited on hand and foot; without servants, she couldn’t even dress herself properly.
When Jiang Yuluan saw her mother, tears rolled down her cheeks instantly.
Jiang Wan’s eyes also turned red.
Her grandmother had thousands of faults, but she had always treated her exceptionally well, giving her the best of everything since she was a child.
Old Madam Jiang seemed a bit deranged, as if she didn’t recognize anyone.
She didn’t even recognize her daughter when she saw her.
Based on Jiang Yuluan’s understanding of her mother, she wouldn’t have been bold enough to do such a thing on her own; even with the wet nurse, she couldn’t have pulled it off.
There must have been someone else behind it.
After visiting her mother, Jiang Yuluan wanted to ask Seventh Prince for help, at least to delay the execution until after the New Year, in case there was a turn of events.
Whenever there was a victory or similar event, there would usually be an amnesty.
But Jiang Changtian was unwilling to wait.
He was sweet-tongued, ruthless, and steady in his actions.
Prime Minister Lu had retired due to severe injury and illness; normally, he might have recuperated and returned after a while.
But that pressure from Jiang Changtian had forced him into retirement directly.
Then, several vice-prime ministers emerged, listing Prime Minister Lu’s crimes one by one—too numerous to record.
Prime Minister Lu and his entire family were thrown into the Ministry of Justice prison.
Those families related to Prime Minister Lu by marriage each used their own methods to protect themselves.
Prime Minister Lu had many wives and concubines, and very many children; he had eight daughters, forming a huge network of marital connections.
Some directly divorced their wives, some sent their daughters-in-law to family temples, some found faults to have them killed, and some women who had established themselves in their husbands’ families directly drew a line between themselves and Prime Minister Lu. On the contrary, there was only one daughter whom Prime Minister Lu did not acknowledge; she had eloped with a poor scholar and wanted to marry him. The poor scholar had relied on his own abilities to pass the exams, though he held a very low-ranking official position. When Prime Minister Lu got into trouble, her husband did not despise her; instead, he pulled strings to let her visit her father.
True feelings are always revealed in adversity.
People who have never received favor cherish relationships even more.
If you treat her just a little bit well, she is willing to repay you twofold; she will keep every little kindness in her heart.
It was also this daughter who pawned the jewelry she had saved for many years to bribe the prison guards for Prime Minister Lu.
There were also some daughters who had been favored and received countless dowries, who, fearing they would be implicated, took the initiative to draw a line.
The warmth and coldness of human relationships are nothing more than this.
In comparison, Old Madam Jiang’s social circle was much simpler.
The Imperial Son-in-law brought Heir Han to visit once.
Heir Han was no longer Heir Han, and the Imperial Son-in-law was no longer the Imperial Son-in-law.
However, the Imperial Son-in-law was originally a member of the imperial clan; his father’s father was a cousin of the previous emperor. Regardless, he was a member of the imperial family and held a title himself.
Princess Huiyun had known from the beginning that Heir Han was not her biological child; she had always assumed he was adopted by the Imperial Son-in-law, and she hadn’t cared.
The Imperial Son-in-law was a very terrifying person. After spending a long time with him, one would feel that he never had any unhappy emotions and always seemed to treat everyone with gentleness; even Princess Huiyun was a little afraid of him.
This matter was suspicious, but the Imperial Son-in-law had cleared himself completely, appearing pure and flawless.
Everything was Old Madam Jiang’s calculated plot, and even the accomplices from back then were dead, leaving no proof.
When the Princess wanted a divorce, he readily agreed.
After Old Madam Jiang saw Heir Han, she surprisingly regained her clarity.
With a gentle expression, she felt she hadn’t been wrong, and she didn’t regret it.
At least Heir Han had grown up in luxury, enjoying everything he should have.
Her child had never suffered for a single day.
She had profited.
Back then, her maternal family had been executed, and her husband’s family had been exiled; who knew what the future held? She hadn’t been wrong.
A mother is strong for her children.
Even now, she didn’t regret it.
She only hated that little brat Jiang Changtian for having such a tough life; she had tried to kill him several times, but he had actually survived.
The day of the execution arrived.
Old Madam Jiang was even quite peaceful.
And very clear-headed.
Even though she was about to die, she still maintained the dignity of a noble lady.
Her attire was appropriate.
Her expression was calm.
Looking back on her life, she had no attachments left.
Even if she went to the underworld to meet her husband, she had nothing to be ashamed of.
She was righteous and self-assured.
Old Madam Jiang calmly awaited her punishment.
Before the execution, she saw Princess Huiyun.
Princess Huiyun had a scar on her face, yet she was still beautiful and enchanting, but Old Madam Jiang still felt she had won.
“So what if you are beautiful? So what if you are high and mighty? In the end, you didn’t even raise your own child for a single day.”
“The person you loved left you.”
“Your biological child suffers every day.”
Old Madam Jiang smiled.
Her nasolabial folds had become very deep in the last two years, and her smile naturally carried a mocking look that made people angry just to see it.
Old Madam Jiang saw her daughter Yu Luan, and this time she was clear-headed.
She grabbed Yu Luan’s hand and said: “Wan’er is deeply in love with your son by a concubine. It doesn’t matter if I die, but I am worried about Wan’er. You are her mother, you make the decision; let Wan’er marry your son, and in the future, you aunt and niece can be together and take care of each other.”
Jiang Yuluan had unspeakable suffering, but looking at her mother’s deathbed instructions, she eventually nodded in agreement.
Jiang Wan had not expected that her grandmother would still be thinking about her affairs on her deathbed; in the end, large tears fell, and she wailed uncontrollably.
Old Madam Jiang was very peaceful, waiting to die.
Generally, for an Old Madam like this, for the sake of dignity, they would be given poison.
However, at the very last moment.
Jiang Changtian requested to see Old Madam Jiang alone.
In the prison cell.
Old Madam Jiang was just as she was in her memory, still very dignified.
Jiang Changtian knew that Jiang Yuluan had bribed the guards.
He did not stop it.
He knew that his mother, Princess Huiyun, was naive and innocent; even if she was full of rage, she was easily fooled and wouldn’t care about these things.
Although Old Madam Jiang was in a prison cell, she still had decent clothes, decent shoes, and decent hair accessories.
She looked at Jiang Changtian.
In the past, every time she saw him, she was filled with rage.
Now, Old Madam Jiang was indifferent instead.
She felt that even if she died, she had actually won.
Some people are just dog pups that can never be raised to be loyal. Look at those eyes; they are cold and cannot be warmed. He certainly had no mother-son affection for Huiyun; it was just exploitation.
Others said she was stupid, but she wasn’t. She discovered that a child who couldn’t be raised to be loyal should be killed; it was just that he had a tough life.
But having experienced so many things, even if this dog pup survived, his body and mind must be damaged, crazy and deranged. Maybe he was just like Huiyun, both having madness, both getting old, unable to even recognize who they were, sometimes good, sometimes bad.
Jiang Changtian stared at Old Madam Jiang.
He examined her for a long time.
So long that Old Madam Jiang became a little impatient.
She took a sip of the tea in front of her.
“Why are you looking at me? Bring the poison or poisoned wine quickly; I don’t want to see you.”
Jiang Changtian smiled.
“I’m looking at you because you’re like a fool. Does your biological son have a birthmark on his knee? I met the eldest sister-in-law a few days ago, and I gave her the eldest brother’s divorce letter. Coincidentally, we talked about Heir Han. The eldest sister-in-law is now a side consort to the Heir; guess what? She said the Heir’s knees are as smooth as jade, with no birthmark. Mother, knowing this secret before you die, are you excited? Happy? Proud?”
“Impossible.” Old Madam Jiang froze.
“It is said that the Imperial Son-in-law is impotent, and Heir Han happens to have an illness as well and no offspring. Don’t you think it’s a coincidence? Heir Han really seems like he was born to the Imperial Son-in-law. If he is impotent, how could he have children? Do you think the Imperial Son-in-law had any sisters, any children? They happen to be the same age as us; it seems there are. Don’t you think that’s a coincidence?”
Old Madam Jiang’s pupils dilated.
She suddenly clawed at her own throat.
“You thought your biological son was living in luxury at the Imperial Son-in-law’s residence. Maybe when you handed him over, he was discarded, or left to rot in a mass grave, or luckily survived only to meet a mother as vicious as you, was abused, or was castrated and sent into the palace, kneeling and walking every day, doing the most menial tasks just to survive. Life is long, with infinite possibilities. What do you think?”
Old Madam Jiang’s breathing became rapid; she rushed out frantically and slammed her head against the prison cell.
Without waiting for the poison to be brought.
She slammed herself to death.
A snowy day.
Eunuch Yan’s leg ailment flared up, so he didn’t go to serve the Emperor.
He leaned against the stove with a thick blanket covering his legs; there was an oval mark on his left knee. For some reason, it was exceptionally painful today.
It was too cold.
That year, from Kaner Village to the capital, and then to the imperial palace, he had suffered too much.
So much that he couldn’t remember, dared not think about it, and didn’t want to think about it.
It was just the physical pain that helped him remember it.
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