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

Chapter 199 : Xiao Shao Gets Angry

Translated by : Shl

Edited by : Anks & Ely

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In a heartbeat the onlookers fell silent and stared at Jiang Ruan in disbelief. There were intense and determined women on this earth, but none were as resolute and decisive[1] as she was. Since the establishment of the Great Jin dynasty Jiang Ruan was the first person to spill her own blood[2] and return it to her father .

[1] 斩钉截铁 (zhǎndīngjiétiě) – lit. to chop the nail and slice the iron (idiom). Fig. resolute and decisive / unhesitating / categorical.

[2] 歃血 (shàxuè) – to smear one's lips with the blood of a sacrifice as a means of pledging allegiance.

Jin San and Tian Zhu stood silently behind Jiang Ruan. Their eyes flitted to and fro minutely, but neither came forward to intervene. Earlier Jiang Ruan had informed them of her plans, however, she had not alerted Xiao Shao about the matter. She knew that once Xiao Shao knew about what she had decided to do, he would definitely put a stop to it. Although Jin San was Xiao Shao's to command, she now obeyed Jiang Ruan from the bottom of her heart. As a husband, Xiao Shao would naturally want to protect his wife. However, Jin San also knew that Jiang Ruan's approach was the best. It took a kind of audacity to announce to the entire world that she was cutting off all relations with the Jiang fu. From now onwards, it would no longer be possible for Jiang Quan to use their relationship by blood to threaten her. Her desire to sever the final link between her and the Jiang fu required a great deal of courage; but what could also be seen was the depth of her abhorrence for her own surname, 'Jiang'.

Jiang Quan ground his teeth, and the veins in his forehead bulged. If not for the watchful gaze of the onlookers, he would probably have killed Jiang Ruan right then and there. Not only that, Jiang Ruan's actions also caused him to feel slightly flustered. She had cut herself so calmly, and with such detachment and hatred in her expression, that she truly seemed to care not a whit about remaining a member of the Jiang family any longer.

In the past, Jiang Quan had always viewed Jiang Ruan as a dispensable daughter. She was born of Zhao Mei, and was a constant reminder to him of those stifling days when he had been constantly suppressed by others and had to rein in his emotions. Thus he despised Jiang Ruan and deliberately neglected her. He knew that Jiang Ruan's temperament was soft and tender, and easy to manipulate, just like the cats and dogs that were raised at the fu. Therefore, the mundane and everyday business of raising her was simply so that she could one day be put to good use. He only had to treat her with a little bit of warmth, and she would happily and diligently come forward to wag her tail for a while.

However, who knew when the cats and dogs raised in this fu had grown sharp claws? It should be after she had returned from the rural residence. Her personality had changed; she appeared calm and cool-headed, not at all like the person who had relied heavily on the Jiang fu in the past. Jiang Quan had thought nothing of this, for, even if the situations involving the Xia family and Jiang Su Su seemed to be connected to Jiang Ruan, he firmly believed that no pet would ever bite the hands that fed it, and destroy its den with its own hands. Jiang Ruan would always need a parental family, and her only true blood relative apart from Jiang Xin Zhi was him, Jiang Quan. Moreover, as long as there was this relationship by blood, Jiang Ruan would never be able to cause too much trouble. With 'filial piety' as the common watchword, Jiang Ruan would always be at a disadvantage by established standards.

But, how dare she? Jiang Quan's eyes were shot through with red, like a trapped beast facing death. That woman's smiling visage was like the legendary red spider lily[3], beautiful and cruel, just like a monster born from a dense forest of bleached bones with a deceivingly beautiful appearance. The fresh blood from her hand continued dripping, silently making bloody flowers bloom in the snow. And yet, she did not seem to feel the slightest pain.