Reborn Spoiled Girl Tames the Regent

Chapter 25: Meeting People from My Past Life Again

Jiang Wan woke up groggily, feeling a sharp pain in the back of her neck. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a narrow iron cage.

She recalled that she had been resting against the railing when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck, and then she fainted. When she woke up, she was already here.

She quickly surveyed her surroundings. It was cold and dark, the air filled with the musty and damp smell of decay, and she could faintly hear the rustling of rats crawling by.

Looking around, there were similar iron cages everywhere, imprisoning many people, mostly women, with very few men. All of them were pale-faced and had empty eyes like dead water.

She pressed herself against the cage and looked at a woman next to her, who looked no more than eighteen years old, but was withered and haggard.

She asked, "Girl, do you know where this is?"

However, her gaze was unfocused, and she did not answer.

"Girl, what's your name?"

"girl?"

After waiting for a while, there was still no reply.

Just when Jiang Mian thought she wouldn't be able to get any information, the girl suddenly spoke up: "A-Yun."

"what?"

"My name is A-Yun."

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Jiang Wan quickly asked, "A-Yun, do you know where this is? Who captured us? What will happen to us?"

A-Yun tilted her head to look at her, her face expressionless, and said, "You don't know anything, yet you dare to come?"

Jiang Wan looked puzzled: "I was knocked unconscious, and when I woke up I was here. I don't know exactly what happened..."

A-Yun glanced at her up and down: "Perhaps because you're good-looking, Zuiyinlou thinks you're a good catch."

"Drunken Sound Pavilion?"

Jiang Mian had heard of it; it was a theater in the capital.

Upon hearing these three words, the people around her reacted and cast glances at Jiang Mian, but remained silent.

Jiang Mian was puzzled and asked again, "A-Yun, why are there so many people here, yet no one is resisting? Don't your family members report this to the authorities? There are many of us; if a commotion breaks out, we might be able to escape!"

"Resist? Report to the authorities?"

A-Yun chuckled, seemingly mocking her naiveté: "We're different from you; we all went voluntarily."

"Volunteer?"

Just as Jiang Mian was about to ask another question, she heard a series of heavy footsteps.

A-Yun quickly shrank to the other side of the cage, creating distance between herself and Jiang Mian.

Jiang Mian turned her head and saw a burly man striding towards her, holding an iron rod in his hand, with a fierce expression.

In the dim light, half of his face was hidden in shadow, with only his single eye, covered by a black cloth, looking particularly sinister.

He pounded on the iron cage menacingly, his voice rough and hoarse: "What are you yelling about! If you say another word, I'll cut your tongue out!"

Jiang Wan felt a chill run down her spine, but quickly regained her composure.

Most of these people are after money. If she can produce some silver, they might let her off the hook.

She suppressed her fear and said, "Brother, let me go, and I'll give you as much silver as you want!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the one-eyed man sneered, raised the whip in his hand, and lashed it down hard.

"Snapped!"

The whip struck Jiang Mian's hand, which was gripping the cage.

Jiang Mian's body jerked violently, a burning pain shooting through her hand. But she was now at the mercy of others and dared not resist, so she could only lower her head and endure the pain.

The one-eyed man squatted down, his voice hoarse: "Silver? I earn gold."

“I have gold too!” Jiang Mian said through gritted teeth. “As long as you let me go, you can have as much gold as you want.”

Before he could finish speaking, the one-eyed man let out a cold laugh, his eyes filled with icy malice: "You talk too much, you damn woman."

Before Jiang Mian could speak again, the one-eyed man opened the cage door and forcibly dragged her out.

Jiang Wan staggered after her.

She gritted her teeth, her unease growing stronger, the worst possible outcome already surfacing in her mind.

Other men passed by, their gazes sweeping over her without restraint. One man licked his lips and clicked his tongue, saying, "If it weren't for orders from above, I really would like to have a taste of this pretty girl."

Jiang Mian was puzzled. What were the orders from above?

"Shut your bitch!"

The one-eyed man spat on the ground.

Jiang Mian didn't have time to think much; her immediate priority was to get away as quickly as possible.

She forced herself to remain calm and secretly observed her surroundings. Suddenly, she noticed a wolf-tooth blade hanging on the wall.

A thought struck her, and she quietly moved closer to the blade.

Taking advantage of the one-eyed man's distraction, Jiang Mian stabbed at the back of his hand. With her collar loosened, she spotted a window and jumped out.

But she was dumbfounded after jumping out...

Outside was a deck, and all around was a wide river with no shore in sight.

She was on a two-story lone boat, sailing on the river.

......

She stood there, stunned, a sudden wave of despair washing over her.

"So eager to jump?"

The one-eyed man's voice sounded from behind.

Jiang Wan snapped out of her daze, took a few steps back, grabbed a wooden stick, and pointed it at him warily: "Don't come any closer!"

She roared, "Who ordered you to kill me?!"

The one-eyed man spat on the ground, said nothing, and suddenly picked up a bucket of water and splashed it at her.

Jiang Mian raised her hand to block the odor, which then rushed into her nostrils.

No, this isn't water.

This smell...it's definitely oil!

The one-eyed man ignored her panic, looking at her arrogantly, and the tinder in his hand fell to the ground.

In an instant, the flames spread rapidly along the oil trail. Jiang Mian was terrified and screamed as she tried to extinguish the flames, but to no avail. In desperation, she jumped headfirst into the river.

"thump--!"

The river water surged.

Her figure vanished instantly into the vast expanse of water, leaving behind a small splash.

The pain of the water hitting her back pierced her as she fell into the river. Without pausing, she swam quickly to the surface.

But the riverbank stretched far into the distance, and she was all alone in the river, not knowing when she would reach the shore.

soon.

Her strength was completely drained, the icy river water pressed against her chest and lungs, and her hands and feet felt as heavy as lead.

She tried her best, but she couldn't lift her hand.

Through the misty air, I saw a boat passing by.

She stared intently, but was powerless to shout. It felt as if her throat was being choked, and only the instinct to gasp for breath kept her conscious.

Just as her vision began to blur and the river water was about to engulf her nose, a strong hand gripped her arm tightly and lifted her out of the icy water.

......

Jiang was pulled out of the water.

He collapsed onto the deck, soaking wet, his body trembling from exhaustion.

She heard rustling sounds beside her, as if someone was pressing on her chest.

She didn't know how much time had passed before she slowly regained consciousness.

Inside the cabin, a maidservant brought over some snacks, helped her sit up, and said softly, "Miss, you've been frightened. Have something to eat before you change your clothes."

Driven by her survival instincts, Jiang Mian disregarded manners and stuffed the food into her mouth.

Once her hands and feet finally stopped trembling and she gradually regained some strength, she sat up and thanked the person in front of her.

"Thank you so much for saving my life, young lady."

Her throat was dry, and her voice was hoarse and out of tune.

The maidservant covered her mouth and chuckled, "Miss, you're thanking me wrong. It was my young master who saved you."

Jiang Wan was slightly taken aback: "Your young master?"

After he finished speaking, a person walked onto the deck.

Dressed in white robes, with a relaxed and elegant demeanor, the hem of his robes fluttered slightly, as if carrying a gentle breeze from the mountains and rivers.

Jiang Mian was stunned, her gaze unconsciously following his steps.

As he drew closer, she finally saw his handsome face clearly—his eyes were clear and gentle.

It was the most familiar image in her memory.

Jiang Mian almost forgot to breathe, her gaze fixed on his face, her mind buzzing, and she almost instinctively cried out, "Your Majesty..."