Volume One, Chapter 12: Villain???

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Wen Shiyan carefully put away the contract. “Are you thinking of backing out?”

“Of course not!” Jiang Tianbao swaggered back and forth, calling out to the crowd, “You wouldn’t sell a living person for nothing, right? What do you all think?”

He hadn’t made demands before sealing the contract because he feared scaring off the wandering doctor, leaving Jiang Ruoyu abandoned and himself entangled with the Li family’s dirty dealings.

The crowd’s murmurs quickly escalated, splitting into two camps.

One believed the contract was signed; this was unreasonable.

The other thought it best to pay up and be done with it, to avoid further rumors and trouble once she left.

But without exception, both sides condemned the two families for their cruel and heartless behavior.

Jiang Tianbao and the mother and son pair paid no heed to the criticism, concerned only with ensuring they didn’t come away empty-handed.

Li Fu, aware that Wen Shiyan was no ordinary person, kept silent but urged Jiang Tianbao forward. “Brother-in-law, that’s your full sister—don’t sell her short!”

Jiang Tianbao kicked him hard. “Look clearly! I’m your uncle! If I catch you pulling this again, I’ll shut your filthy mouth!”

Wen Shiyan pondered briefly. “How much do you want?”

Seeing her relent, Jiang Tianbao grinned slyly and held up five fingers. “Not much, five hundred taels.”

He figured this pretty boy was well-dressed and could probably come up with that.

Bang!

A loud crash sounded behind them. Wen Shiyan turned quickly to see Jiang Ruoyu tumble off the small couch, struggling to crawl out with bloodshot eyes.

Her hoarse, anguished voice rang out, “Enough!”

Everyone was stunned by her pitiful state.

Wen Shiyan tried to help, but Jiang Ruoyu refused.

“Jiang Tianbao, what do you take me for?” She dug her nails deep into her flesh, her gaze shifting as if transformed. “If you want money, there’s no need to extort the young doctor. I hid a dowry, a relic from my mother, buried beneath the tree in the Li family courtyard. If you want it, take it. That jade Buddha alone is worth a thousand taels…”

Before she finished, Li Fu and his mother, along with Jiang Tianbao, scrambled out, fearing the others would snatch it first.

“Heh…”

Jiang Ruoyu watched this bitter spectacle, then fainted from exhaustion.

Wen Shiyan tenderly lifted her and laid her back on the couch before successfully obtaining the ginseng soup.

The medical clinic’s youngest daughter had quietly been brewing the soup behind them. As she handed it over, she whispered to Wen Shiyan, “This is top-quality ginseng I dug myself from the mountain. I never had the heart to sell it, but today it’s for you.”

“And what you did today was impressive—truly a deed worthy of a healer.” Her eyes shone brightly. “My name is Bai Zhi. May I ask your name, sir?”

Wen Shiyan smiled, feeling lighter at the sight of the earnest twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl attempting maturity. “I am Wen Shiyan. Thank you, heroine, for your noble generosity.”

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Bai Zhi moved closer to help feed the medicine, hesitatingly asking, “Did you really go to the Qingya Prince’s mansion, or were you bluffing?”

A strange gleam flashed in Wen Shiyan’s eyes as she shook her head. “Just bragging.”

Relieved, Bai Zhi said, “I thought so. Why else would you treat a villain?”

“A villain?” Wen Shiyan paused, her gaze drifting toward a man not far away.

The clinic soon returned to its usual bustle.

Liang Jiang was whispering instructions about hammering stones when he noticed her gaze and looked over, his handsome, unrestrained face softened by a smile like melting snow.

Bai Zhi, carefree, said, “Yeah, you’re from out of town, so it’s normal you wouldn’t know.”

She deliberately left a mystery.

Wen Shiyan disliked learning about people from others’ mouths, so in her past life, she trusted only her own judgment and never sought out rumors.

But now, curiosity stirred.

“What do you know?”

Seeing her interest, Bai Zhi lowered her voice. “I heard from my father, who treats officials, but it’s a secret.”

Wen Shiyan pursed her lips and listened.

“The Empress isn’t the biological mother of the Third Prince; his real mother is Consort Lian, who went mad and was locked away in the Cold Palace.

“After the birth of the Third Prince’s sister, it was discovered that Consort Lian had a scandalous affair with the Qingya Prince, which enraged the Emperor.

“Oh yes! The Qingya Prince was the original lord of the Qingya Mansion and the Emperor’s own brother. He was said to be charming, loving only romance and beauties, not power, which kept his relationship with the Emperor good.

“But because of this incident, the Qingya Prince took his own life to prove his innocence. No one dared to judge the matter, not even the Emperor himself.

“In the end, the little princess was born with unclear bloodline and abandoned for over a decade.”

Wen Shiyan’s brow twitched. “Then what does this have to do with the Third Prince?”

Why was Liang Jiang called a villain?

Bai Zhi pouted. “The Empress always treated the Third Prince as her own child—no, better than the Crown Prince—protecting and caring for him. But the Third Prince was violent and cruel, often beating palace servants. By his teens, he disobeyed orders and moved into the Qingya Mansion, which angered the Emperor greatly!”

Wasn’t that a slap in the Emperor’s face?

Most would avoid trouble, but how could the Third Prince possibly live there?

Wen Shiyan recalled that in her previous life, when Liang Jiang seized the throne, the first person he killed was the Empress. It seemed ‘biting the hand that feeds’ was engraved deep within him.

“Such a man will have no good end.”

Bai Zhi covered her mouth and glanced around cautiously, making sure no one overheard before saying, “Better not to say more. He’s royalty; we little people have no right to judge his fate.”

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“Hmm…”

They tacitly fell silent.

Until the sun set in the west.

Wen Shiyan temporarily entrusted Jiang Ruoyu and the child to the clinic.

Qingya Prince’s Mansion.

Liang Jiang pressed his back against the door, blocking Wen Shiyan from closing it.

“A Yan, today you kept staring at those irrelevant things, only glancing at me three times.”

His voice carried a teasing, ambiguous reproach.

Wen Shiyan forced herself to remain calm, meeting his gaze. The lantern’s warm yellow light cast a glow, igniting passion in his eyes.

After only a moment, she turned away.

“Is that enough?”

How could he act like a child begging for candy?

Besides, she was not candy!

Liang Jiang pinched her cheek and leaned close. “The powder you spilled today, I got some on me too. What now? Could it be…”

Wen Shiyan shook her head. “No, that was just ordinary flour. Third Prince need not worry.”

“Oh…”

He sounded somewhat disappointed.

A mischievous smirk curled his lips. “But it’s okay.”

Wen Shiyan didn’t understand. “If the Third Prince has no other matters, I’ll rest now.”

Tomorrow, she had to rise early to go to the palace.

Meanwhile, within the Jiang and Li family compounds, piercing cries of agony were muffled behind high walls.