The Rebirth of an Ill-Fated Consort (Chapters 1- 203)

Chapter 130 : Imprisonment

However, no matter how foolish or infatuated Hu Qian Qiu was, he would not do anything that might cost him his job. Therefore, Second Yiniang's trump card did not lie in the Regional Inspector of the Censorate, rather . . . she smiled slightly. Li Qiang.

The information Lu Zhu received as she asked around was pretty clear – Second Yiniang had recently been selling jewellery and precious stones. Hu Qian Qiu would not need Second Yiniang's jewellery. On the other hand, Second Yiniang's nephew, the ignorant and incompetent Li Qiang, had relied on his family to buy the position of a minor official. All day long, this privileged degenerate dallied with prostitutes and enjoyed a licentious lifestyle. It was said that he had lost a huge sum of silver at gambling a few days ago. Among all the people on earth, the gambling addict had the greatest nerve, especially a gambler who had racked up huge losses.

Second Yiniang had promised Li Qiang a large sum of money. What did she want Li Qiang to do?

Night had already fallen, and the prison cell became damper and colder. This cell seemed to have been specially arranged, for there were no prisoners in the surrounding cells. All of them were deserted, except for hers. She was completely alone; even the jailor had disappeared to goodness knows where.

From a distance came the sound of footsteps, and a party of people walked in, led by someone clad in roughspun hemp clothes. On seeing Jiang Ruan, he could not help but give a little start before he narrowed his eyes and said, "Junzhu's courage is truly great, and cause for admiration." It was Li Qiang.

Jiang Ruan smiled faintly and said, "Young Master Li flatters too much." In her previous life she had never been held in any kind of prison, but she had stayed in places much colder and gloomier than this prison, so what was there to be afraid of at present?

Li Qiang's eyes flashed briefly. "Junzhu actually knows this person, that is truly surprising."

Jiang Ruan contemplated the people standing behind Li Qiang. There were several of them, and they were all strong, rough-looking men who were surveying her with unbridled lust; at one glance, it was clear what their intent was.

"How much money did Second Yiniang give you?" Jiang Ruan asked all of a sudden.

Li Qiang did not expect this question from her. He eyed Jiang Ruan warily before breaking into a smile and saying, "There's no harm in telling Junzhu. Thirty thousand taels of silver."

Jiang Ruan nodded. Thirty thousand taels of silver . . . When Jiang Li got married, her entire dowry was not more than fifty thousand taels of silver, yet Second Yiniang was still able to provide such a huge sum of money. She must have sold off all her property and everything she owned – just to buy Jiang Ruan's life? Second Yiniang's mind was really too simple.

Noticing Jiang Ruan's ambiguous half smile, Li Qiang's expression tightened and he asked, "Does Junzhu have something she wants to say?"

"This junzhu's life is only valued at a trifling few thousand taels of silver?" Jiang Ruan said indifferently, "Isn't that too pitiful?"

"What does Junzhu mean?" Li Qiang narrowed his eyes.

"I will buy out this deal for a hundred thousand taels of silver," said Jiang Ruan.

Li Qiang was startled by this offer, as were the people behind him. The rumours were really true, that Jiang Ruan was very generous when taking action. Surely she had obtained many good things by being with Empress Dowager Yi De. It would be a lie to say that he was not tempted. Li Qiang had run up a huge debt just a few days prior, and it was with great difficulty that he had gotten involved in this scheme of Second Yiniang's. Although he knew it was dangerous, he also knew that not repaying his debt was a sure route to death. Now that Jiang Ruan had offered him a sum of hundred thousand, how could he not turn it over in his mind? Different emotions flitted across his face, and he seemed to be on the cusp of changing his tune, when a burly man next to him coughed lightly out of the blue.