Real Empress from a Noble Family

Chapter 184 That’s Great. I’m Single Too!

“What are you doing here?” After Feng Rugui left, Jiang Yashuang pushed open the door of the cell and went in. Deng Yi, who was sitting against the wall, asked mockingly, “Aren’t you satisfied with my divorce? Must you kill me?”

Jiang Yashuang looked at him with the only lamp in the cell. Although in chains, he was neatly dressed. He could not have suffered much since he had been taken to prison.

That made sense. Even if Feng Rugui attached himself to the Jiang Family, being mayor of the capital, he dared not offend Empress Dowager Gu. He had no grudge against Deng Yi, so there was no need for him to be tough on him without clear instructions of the Jiang Family.

“If you didn’t let Lanlan join us, how could this happen?” Although the “extra treat” for the Empress Dowager Party was only a pair of shackles, Deng Yi, who had worn the heavy shackles for a day and night, was so weak that he could hardly sit without leaning against the wall.

Jiang Yashuang could see that he was forcing himself at the moment. If there had been nobody else, he would have fallen on the hay.

“You took away my woman by force and slandered me. How could you be so grubby?” Deng Yi mocked. “Everyone says you are the most honest person in your family. But I say you are actually the most shameless one.”

Jiang Yashuang said blandly, “Do you love Lanlan?”

“But she’s my legal fiancée!” Deng Yi sneered. “I know why you came here. You are afraid that your sweetheart will be discussed by people so you want me to help her out? I’ve been set up by you and I have to help you? It’s impossible!”

“I ensure that you can participate in the imperial examination and will be appointed to a local post immediately after you pass the exam so that you can get out of the control of Gu Yan!” Jiang Yashuang said calmly. “You should know there are not many opportunities like this. Only we can help you get out of the hands of Gu Yan! And with your position in the Gu Family…”

“I know this is a rare opportunity!” Deng Yi interrupted him with a wild laugh. “But why should I say yes? I had wanted to get out of the hands of Gu Yan, but I understand now that even if I leave Gu Yan, there are others in the world who want to harm and can harm me! It has nothing to do with him that I am in prison now! So why do I have to leave him? At least he treated me well!”

Jiang Yashuang darkened his face, saying, “Is that true?”

“I know the mayor is a man of your family. He knows how to deal with me!” Deng Yi stopped laughing and said contemptuously, “I am not good at martial arts and even worse at enduring punishment. But you can kill me now if you want Qiu Yelan to bear the charge of conspiring with you to frame me and murdering me in order to break the engagement!”

He suddenly laughed again. “In fact, if you really love her, why do you have to come to me? You can take all the blame on yourself, can’t you? You don’t want to risk yourself. That’s all your love for Qiu Yelan. She tried every means to divorce me. I wonder what will happen to her if she marries you?”

Jiang Yashuang looked at him quietly for a moment and then smiled, “You are right! Why should I force you? I’ll go and take all the blame on myself!” He waved his sleeves and was about to leave!

Deng Yi was in a daze. But when he saw Jiang Yashuang stopped after a few steps, he sneered, “How’s that? This is a critical time. Will you…”

“I forgot to tell you that Lanlan will have a good life with me.” Jiang Yashuang turned his head and said blandly. “I promised her that I would never take a concubine and she would never suffer any grievance… All in all, she will feel that it is the right thing for her to break with you and marry me in her life.”

When he was out of sight, Deng Yi yelled, lowered his head and looked at the scattered hay on the ground. There was no sarcasm or jealousy on his face, but he was full of thoughts.

He spent a few more days in the prison. The news of the trial finally came.

Early in the morning, someone came to tell him what to say after he went to court. That was the agreement made between Empress Jiang and Empress Dowager Gu.

Qiu Yuqing was killed by Deng Yi. This was the premise of the divorce between Qiu Yelan and Deng Yi, and it was impossible for Empress Jiang to make any concession to it. But the reason for the kill was that Qiu Yuqing bore the grudge that the Qiu Family had broken off with her daughter Kang Lizhang, and because of the death of Duchess of Huainan and Concubine Mo, everybody in the family was obstructive to Kang Lizhang. Qiu Yuqing asked the Duke of Xihe and his wife several times to intervene but to no avail, so she wanted to assassinate Deng Yi when Ding Qinghong was in labor and get the whole Qiu family into trouble.

Then, although Deng Yi was attacked all of a sudden, he killed Qiu Yuqing, who wanted to kill him.

Therefore, the divorce was unavoidable.

But Deng Yi did not have to take the blame.

After this formality, Feng Rugui said a few words of officialdom and announced that he was released on the spot.

Deng Yi thanked him carelessly, turned around and saw Gu Yan standing in the hall, who looked at him pitifully. “You were wronged. Let’s go home!”

Meeting his eyes, Deng Yi smiled, “Alright!”

He followed Gu Yan out of the Governor’s office and they got on the same wagon. He ignored the arm around his waist but asked calmly, “How did Jiang Yashuang do it?”

“What?” Gu Yan was surprised at what he said.

“He hasn’t done anything these days?” Deng Yi was stunned.

Having asked what had happened, Gu Yan sneered, “Since he returned from the prison, he seems to have been studying at home. Even Ou Bicheng wasn’t able to see him… Even if he is willing to take the blame on himself, his grandfather may not approve of his marrying the woman!”

Seeing Deng Yi’s subtle expression, he comforted him at once, “That woman is changeable and won’t make a good wife! There’s no pity in it. I’ll find a better one for you.”

“You think too much. I’m just thinking that this unexpected disaster has delayed my study.” Deng Yi said blandly.

“It doesn’t matter. Anyway, you have a good foundation. After you go back and study hard for a while, you will certainly be able to make up for it.” Gu Yan pondered for a moment and said.

Hearing this, Deng Yi heaved a sigh of relief.

The two cousins did not expect that Jiang Yashuang had been calm and seemed to have forgotten what he had said in front of Deng Yi. But on April 16, the grandson of the Duke of Xihe was one month old and a banquet was held in the mansion to celebrate this. Many guests were present. Jiang Yashuang suddenly arrived uninvited with a group of servants.

Hearing the news, Qiu Mengmin told his eldest son Qiu Hongzhi to welcome him in person to the main table.

After Jiang Yashuang sat down, he looked at the newly born baby symbolically for a while and presented a pair of white jade pieces. At this time, the father and son breathed a sigh of relief. The banquet that got quiet because of his unexpected arrival was about to restore its atmosphere when Jiang Yashuang suddenly asked, “Your niece has broken off with Deng Yi. Is she engaged to someone else?”

Qiu Mengmin had long been ready for the Jiang Family to send a matchmaker over for the proposal, but he never thought it was Jiang Yashuang himself. He was stupefied for a moment, then forced a smile and said no.

“That’s good. I’m not married either. I’ve admired your niece for a long time. May I use this hairpin as a keepsake today?” Jiang Yashuang nodded, took out a colorful jade hairpin and asked directly!

Everyone in the hall was dumbfounded and looked at Qiu Mengmin, who was also frozen. There was only one thought in his mind. “Marquess Qin and others in the family do not allow him to marry that little bitch, so he comes to do it in person without their permission?”

He immediately felt that it was an awkward situation for him. If Marquess Qin did not want his grandson to marry Qiu Yelan, Qiu Mengmin did not think that Jiang Yashuang’s proposal in public could make him change his mind. Therefore, if he accepted the proposal but it didn’t work out in the end, it would be the worst for Qiu Yelan.

The problem was that Qiu Yelan was not the only girl of the family. Qiu Mengmin also had to think about his daughter’s future!

But if he refused… Jiang Yashuang wouldn’t give up easily.

Although the status of the guy was far inferior to that of a hereditary prince, what behind him were the unreasonable Empress Jiang and Marquess Qin, the backbone of the country!

Qiu Mengmin regretted not pretending to be drunk when he heard that he came.

“Am I not worthy of your family or your niece?” Seeing that he hesitated, Jiang Yashuang immediately urged.

“You must be joking.” Qiu Mengmin tried to be vague.

But how could Jiang Yashuang give him such a chance?

He insisted that he give a clear answer. Qiu Mengmin did not want to offend him, nor did he dare to offend Marquess Qin. In the end, Jiang Yashuang put the hairpin on the table and left. “The keepsake is here. Please keep it for your niece. An official matchmaker will come soon to discuss the wedding date!”

Saying that, he walked away, leaving all the guests at a loss!

The matter was not over yet. When people in Jing City were talking about it enthusiastically, there were countless rumors everywhere.

“Do you know what happened to Princess Ningyi and General Jiang?”

“They have affairs for a long time ago. They even put the Princess’s fiance in prison. Fortunately, that one also had a background. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known how he died!”

“That’s the old story made up by idlers! Listen to me. The truth is this. When General Jiang’s sisters were in contact with Princess Ningyi, the people around them said that the Princess was gorgeous beyond the reach of ordinary beauties. When General Jiang heard that, he fell in love with her. The guy of the Deng Family refused to give up even though he obviously didn’t like her. Then…”

“How do you explain what happened at the banquet?”

“It was said that the Princess was so pure and noble that she had been ignoring the young General. The young General had asked her sisters to pass on his messages several times, but it didn’t work. So, he got upset and went in person. Who dares to propose marriage to the Princess in future whether the Duke of Xihe agrees or not? That would be challenging General Jiang.

“But that’s a Princess. No one stopped him?”

“Why should anyone stop him? Among the children of the Jiang Family, the young General is considered good. He has only tried to win the affection of a princess over the years. If he were to be restrained, wouldn’t all the other children of the Jiang Family have to be beheaded?”

“That’s right. Princess Ningyi is really poor. She lost her parents and brother in her early years. It is said that she suffered a lot from her uncle, and was engaged to Deng Yi. Who would have thought that she was found by the Jiang Family? I wonder how she will survive in the future!”

Jiang Yashuang took advantage of the banquet to draw the attention of people in Jing City so that the rumor was spread out. In just a few days, the public opinion that had been blaming Qiu Yelan had turned into sympathy.

It was Jiang Yashuang who had replaced her as the center of blame, and many children of the Jiang Family were also criticized…

Before many of the young men in the family had time to get even with Jiang Yashuang, Jiang Qianchuan, the Marquess Qin, told a servant, “Go and get him for me!”