Reborn Spoiled Girl Tames the Regent

Chapter 13 What a vicious mind!

She frowned, a vague feeling that something was amiss.

Just as she was about to go look for Jiang Li, she caught a glimpse of her approaching out of the corner of her eye. Jiang Li was holding a crimson dress in her hand and said with a smile, "Second Sister, you've come at the right time! Please take a look at this..."

Before she could finish speaking, she glanced at Wen Qian on the bed and asked in confusion, "Did the Crown Princess fall asleep while I was just going to get some clothes?"

After saying that, she picked up another garment on the chair, looked at it, and then feigned surprise, saying, "Why is the Crown Princess wearing that garment?!"

Jiang Man saw that she was holding a pale yellow lily patterned outer garment, the same one that Wen Qian was wearing. The only difference was that Wen Qian's garment was embroidered with peonies, and the difference was indistinguishable without close inspection.

"What's wrong with the clothes?" Jiang Mian asked, puzzled.

“That dress…” Jiang Li stammered, “The dress wasn’t finished yet, and there were still silver needles tied inside.”

Jiang Wan's eyes widened instantly, and an ominous image immediately flashed through her mind.

He quickly stepped forward, gently lifted the collar, and saw that the silver needle was deeply embedded in the flesh at the back of the neck. The needle trembled slightly when the clothes were touched.

Her breath hitched, and she broke out in a cold sweat.

"Jiang Li, why didn't you tell her there was a needle in her clothes?!"

Jiang Li looked innocent: "I asked her to try embroidering the lily piece, but she picked up the wrong one herself, so how can you blame me?"

Just as Jiang Mian was about to question him, she heard hurried footsteps outside. It was a maid leading the doctor into the room.

The most urgent task is to revive Wenqian.

While everyone was busy, Jiang Li quietly moved to the foot of the bed and pulled a thin needle from the sole of Wen Qian's shoe.

Wen Qian, who had embarrassed her in public at banquets in the past, has finally fallen into her trap.

She turned her head and glanced at the person on the bed, a cold smile playing on her lips.

It was only for a moment, but Jiang Wan caught it.

Her mind raced. Could it be that Jiang Li and Wen Qian had some kind of grudge?

Before she could think it through, she saw the doctor instruct someone to turn Wen Qian over.

Jiang Mian quickly stepped forward to stop it.

"Doctor! The needles in her back haven't been removed yet, so we mustn't move her."

"In that case..." the doctor hesitated, "Could this garment be cut open?"

"No way!" Jiang Li stamped her foot. "This fabric was so hard to buy, we can't cut it!"

"Cut it open!" Jiang Wan raised her voice, glaring angrily at her. "This fabric is made with gold thread. Today I say cut it, and you have to cut it!"

Jiang Li was startled by her voice and took a step back, pursing her lips without saying a word.

Soon, the doctor took scissors and cut down from the collar.

With the sound of clothes tearing, the atmosphere in the room froze instantly, and everyone stared in disbelief.

All that could be seen on Wen Qian's back were countless silver needles piercing into his flesh, some of which had completely penetrated into the flesh, oozing fine beads of blood.

"This girl fainted from the pain," the doctor sighed, his hands still moving. "Fortunately, the needles didn't hit any vital organs."

Jiang Li glanced at it lightly and thought to herself: She really is lucky to be alive.

She picked up another pale yellow coat and was about to go out when Mo Ping rushed into the house with Li Zhijing, bumping into her. Her hand trembled, and the coat fell to the ground.

Jiang Mian turned her head and saw this scene. She ignored Li Zhijing, grabbed Jiang Li's sleeve, and dragged her to the backyard.

"Jiang Wan! Let me go! Let me go..."

"Slap!" A crisp slap landed across the face.

Jiang Mian rubbed her hands, her eyes filled with anger.

"Jiang Wan! Why did you hit me?!" Jiang Li covered her face.

"Jiang Li, do you know what you're doing? How dare you lay a hand on the Crown Princess in broad daylight at home? What are you really up to?!"

"When did I ever harm her?! You need to provide evidence to support your claim!"

"Evidence? Did you think I didn't see the needle you pulled from the sole of her shoe?"

I never thought I'd only see such a despicable trick in the palace, but I never expected to witness it in my own home today.

Jiang Mian continued, "If I'm not mistaken, you first deliberately hid a needle in her clothes, then placed two similar garments together. If the truth comes out, you'll say that she wore the wrong clothes herself."

Moreover, you hid needles in the soles of her shoes. With each step she took, the needles would sink deeper until they pierced the soles, causing her to fall in pain. This way, the needles and threads in her clothes would also pierce her flesh. How wicked you are! Tell me! Why did you want to harm her?!

Her voice and expression were stern; she didn't resemble a young girl at all, but rather exuded the aura of an angry empress.

Jiang Li's expression trembled slightly, but she still gritted her teeth and denied it: "You...you're talking nonsense!"

"Am I talking nonsense? With such methods, that other pale yellow outer garment must also contain needles. No matter which one she chooses, she will be pricked. Should I bring it over to examine it?!"

She turned to go inside to get it.

Jiang Li quickly grabbed her sleeve, angrily saying, "Jiang Wan! How can you side with outsiders! Remember, I'm your older sister!"

Jiang Wan frowned, staring at her, and said forcefully, "You don't actually think I'll ever consider you my elder sister, do you? Jiang Li, have you forgotten that it was you who locked me in the cellar, abandoned me in the mountains, and opposed me at every turn at home?"

I initially intended to let you off the hook because you were young at the time, but if you continue to act recklessly as before, don't blame me for being ruthless!

After saying that, he asked sternly, "Speak! Why did you try to harm the Crown Princess?"

Under her intensely demanding gaze, Jiang Li finally couldn't hold on any longer.

She swallowed hard, mustered her strength, and raised her chin, saying, "Last year, when the Wen family hosted a banquet, I finally managed to get a seat at the table, but Wen Qian stole the show. Wasn't she just showing off her little poetry notebook because she wasn't valued in the Wen family? So what if she's now the Crown Princess? Do you see anyone who respects her?"

Jiang Mian was stunned; she remembered that banquet.

Jiang Li was invited to the banquet, so she dressed up carefully and put a lot of thought into it. She even wrote a poem about Mount Xian in front of everyone at the exhibition booth.

But she misspelled a word, and coincidentally, there was a poem that Wen Qian had copied in her spare time on the display stand, so the guests all turned to praise Wen Qian.

......

Jiang Wan took a deep breath. She hadn't expected that such a small matter would make Jiang Li hold a grudge for so long.

This despicable person was actually trained by the Jiang family.

She laughed angrily: "Jiang Li, now I truly believe that you and the Xie family are a perfect match."

Before Jiang Li could understand the meaning of those words, Jiang Xun walked over. Judging from his appearance, he must already know about the Crown Princess's fainting.

Jiang Li, completely changing her previous demeanor, covered her face and rushed over, saying aggrievedly, "Father! My second sister just hit me!"

Jiang Xun glanced at the red mark on her face, his expression darkening slightly, as if he was suppressing his anger.

"Jiang Mian, I see you've become increasingly presumptuous lately! You have absolutely no sense of manners!"

Normally, Jiang Wan would have been intimidated by her father's imposing presence. But in her previous life, all the officials in the court had bowed to her, so now she was unlikely to be intimidated by anyone.

Jiang Mian said seriously, "Etiquette? Father, don't you want to ask the reason? Last year, when the Wen family held a banquet, Jiang Li only thought that the Crown Princess had stolen the limelight because she did not win the praise of the guests, and she still holds a grudge now."

Such a jealous nature, if left unchecked, will eventually drag the entire Jiang family down with it. The daughter's intervention was to prevent further trouble.

Jiang Xun, with a stern expression, said, "She is your eldest sister, and if anyone should be punished, it should be you. Besides, there is no concrete evidence at the moment, and perhaps the Crown Princess really did take the wrong clothes."

"Evidence? She already admitted it just now, what evidence do you need, Father?"

"Alright! Are you determined to make a scene? You, as the younger sister, are being rude and disrespectful to your older sister. Believe me or not, I'll slap you right now!"

Jiang Wan never expected her father to favor Jiang Li to such an extent.

She turned her head away, intending to fetch another pale yellow coat from inside the room to compare with her father.

However, just as he took a step, Xiao Hengzhi came over, holding the pale yellow outer robe in his hand.

Jiang Mian reached out to take it, but Xiao Hengzhi subtly blocked her.

"Uncle Jiang, may I take a look at this garment?" He handed it to Jiang Xun.

Jiang Xun took it without understanding why, and as soon as he got it, he grimaced as he was pricked in the palm by a silver needle.

Xiao Hengzhi chuckled lightly: "This is the one the Crown Princess didn't wear. It also has silver needles inside, but these silver needles are a little different. This one... is poisoned."

Jiang Xun was startled and quickly opened her palm to look; sure enough, there were already tiny purple spots.

"How...how do we detoxify this?"

Xiao Hengzhi smiled and said, "Uncle Jiang is in good health, this is nothing to worry about. But if the Crown Princess chooses this one and all the silver needles are inserted, I'm afraid her life will be in danger."

Jiang Li's face turned deathly pale. She wanted to speak up and explain, but she saw that Jiang Xun's expression was already bad.

Xiao Hengzhi added, "If the Crown Princess were to encounter trouble at the Jiang residence, it wouldn't be as simple as it seems on the surface. With the constant factional strife in the court, and Uncle Jiang being upright and not siding with any faction, someone will surely use that as grounds to impeach you."

His Highness the Crown Prince has always wanted to bring you under his wing. It seems that Uncle Jiang, in order to protect the Jiang family, will have no choice but to join the Crown Prince's inner circle and become embroiled in the court's turmoil.

These words resonated deeply with Jiang Xun.

Jiang Mian was also stunned.

Xiao Hengzhi is just a commoner, now only a teenager. How would he know about these court affairs?

Did he have memories of his past life?