Chapter 33

As soon as these words were spoken, the first to be stunned was Xiao Yuanhua.

He slowly rose and walked to Fang Qingyan's face; shock and anger flushed his face red, his eyes flashing with menace: "It turns out you didn't seduce just me! You honey‑talked and tempted me in every way, only to use me as a stepping stone! You even dare to harm me? Trash!"

He raised his hand and slapped Fang Qingyan with all his strength: "You trash—!"

"Pa!" a crisp sound rang out; Fang Qingyan was knocked to the ground by that slap, falling beside Jiang Yuan. Jiang Yuan started, hastily crawling a few steps to the side.

Fang Qingyan's mouth corner slowly oozed bright red blood, the scarlet fluid winding across her pallid cheek.

She lifted her hand to wipe the blood from her mouth, saw her hand completely red, and laughed: "Hahaha……"

Her voice grew louder, her laugh horribly miserable yet oddly relieved, but soon the laughter turned to sobs, fading into soft whimpers.

Xiao Yuanhang's face was as still as water, Cheng Ru'an's expression dim, and everyone in the room silently watched her.

Finally, Xiao Yuanhang spoke: "Take Xiao Yuanhua to the private cell and keep him under strict watch."

Xiao Yuanhua felt relieved: his life was spared.

Xiao Er waved his hand; two guards entered from outside and took him away.

Xiao Yuanhang pointed at Jiang Yuan: "Make him drink this bowl of water."

Jiang Yuan was startled and wanted to beg for mercy, but Xiao Er was quick—he lifted his hand, dislocated Jiang Yuan's jaw, poured the water still writhing with gu worms into his mouth, waited a moment, then snapped his jaw shut.

Jiang Yuan lay on the ground, gagging hard to vomit the gu worms, but it was already too late; he knew exactly how potent they were, his heart turned to ash instantly, he could no longer hold up, his vision went black and he collapsed.

"Drag him away, lock him in the private cell, give him daily food and drink so he can also taste being devoured by the gu worms. You may all retreat."

"Yes!" Xiao Er hauled Jiang Yuan up, leading all the guards out of Yangzheng Pavilion.

"As for you." Xiao Yuanhang looked down at Fang Qingyan: "Considering our marriage, Ru'an, prepare a quiet room for her; she may never leave, and must copy scriptures and repent there every day."

Cheng Ru'an nodded, glanced at Fang Qingyan: "Yes, I will arrange it now." With that she withdrew.

In the vast main hall, only Xiao Yuanhang and Fang Qingyan remained.

Fang Qingyan had now calmed; the room was deathly silent.

Xiao Yuanhang stared intently at her: "I only ask you one thing: Shuer, whose child is she really?"

Fang Qingyan snapped her head up, locked eyes with him, her dull gaze gradually sharpening: "Shuer? Do you even remember her?"

She slowly straightened her torso: "My father once held the rank of Three Dukes! I am the legitimate daughter! I should be the mistress of this prince's mansion! If it weren't for his crime and demotion, how could I be merely your concubine, daily watching Cheng Ru'an's face to get by—on what grounds?!"

"I tolerate looking at her face, but my Shuer, just because she is born of me, can only be a concubine's daughter and must also watch her face! On what authority?!"

"My child ought to be legitimate! What's wrong with me seeking a future for myself? What's wrong with wanting Shuer to be legitimate instead of a concubine's daughter?"

Xiao Yuanhang frowned slightly: "Since you entered the mansion, Ru'an has never mistreated you……"

"I don't care for her!" Fang Qingyan roared: "Who cares about her hypocritical kindness! I've been born with a golden spoon; I don't need her alms!"

Xiao Yuanhang shook his head: "You're beyond help; I have no time to listen to your nonsense."

"I ask you one last time: Shuer, whose child is she?"

Cheng Ru'an slipped in quietly: "Your Highness, arrangements are made."

Fang Qingyan slowly rose, straightened her back: "I truly don't know whose child she is! Kill me or cut me, I'll obey your command."

"Someone, take her away." Cheng Ru'an waved her hand; Liu Mama brought two servants and led Fang Qingyan out.

Fang Qingyan followed them to a cramped room in the corner of the prince's mansion, containing only a table, a chair, and a bed.

On the table lay a stack of scriptures, beside them brush, ink, paper, and inkstone—everything needed.

As the door closed, the lock outside clicked; only then did Fang Qingyan slump weakly into the chair.

She picked up a scripture, unconsciously rubbing it with her fingers, murmuring low: "Shuer, your father is doomed to die. Even if I swear an oath now, the prince could never believe you are his daughter."

"So Mother said that to him, because only if he cannot be certain you are his daughter will he show you leniency, so you won't be implicated by Mother."

"Mother schemed for years, yet it all came to nothing; my poor Shuer, Mother can no longer protect you." Tears slid down, dropping one by one onto the scripture.

At this moment, Xiao Yuanhang and Cheng Ru'an had already returned to the inner chambers.

Cheng Ru'an comforted her husband: "Don't take Fang Qingyan's words to heart, Your Highness; Shuer's nature isn't bad, and now that she's gone it's actually a good thing. I'll send a few more nursemaids to Defying Frost Pavilion to properly educate her."

Xiao Yuanhang nodded: "Handle the inner household affairs as you see fit. You've worked hard today."

Cheng Ru'an smiled gently: "Not a hardship, as long as the prince and the children are healthy and the household peaceful, I gladly endure any toil. Second Master… are you going to keep him locked up like this?"

Xiao Yuanhang frowned slightly: "Yuanhua has been proud and ambitious since childhood, unwilling to be beneath me, but even without me he is merely a concubine's son with no merit; without patronage, the title of Prince Ning could never fall to him."

"So I suspect there must be others behind him. Since Guo Taiyi said the gu worms are non‑toxic, what poison is in me? Where did it come from? We'll have to ask him to find out."

"Fang Qingyan is no fool; knowing these things, she likely still hopes for something from him, perhaps because she has caught some hints."

"He has been pampered since youth, unable to endure hardship or punishment, so we'll first confine him for a few days to temper his temperament, then interrogate him thoroughly."

"Since Tuan Tuan said he is not of the prince's bloodline, the matter here is probably not as simple as a succession struggle."

"First, leave him be." Xiao Yuanhang's face turned grave: "Ru'an, Tuan Tuan's origin needs a proper and legitimate explanation; otherwise, even bearing the title of legitimate daughter, she will still be criticized outside."

"What does Your Highness mean?"

"I have pondered this for many days; now that the mansion's affairs are settled, tomorrow I will enter the palace to petition for Tuan Tuan to be granted the title of commandery princess."

"Five years ago, I happened to be on campaign suppressing rebels, and your nature is the quietest, usually not mixing with outsiders."

"It works perfectly: we'll say that after I left you discovered you were pregnant three months plus, and because I was away at war you did not announce it."

"After Tuan Tuan was born, a wandering master happened to pass by, cast a divination, and said her constitution was weak and her eight characters clashed with the prince's mansion; to grow up safe she must be sent elsewhere, raised until five before being brought back."

"Now the time has come, so this year we will bring her back. Ru'an, what do you think?"

Cheng Ru'an beamed with surprise: "Your Highness is quite right! This way Tuan Tuan's origins are no longer obscure; being my own birth, her legitimate daughter status is proper and unquestionable, and no one will object."

"But…" she frowned slightly: "Before the prince awoke, Tuan Tuan had already been in the mansion for several days, and Fang Qingyan and her daughter have never tolerated her; I fear that in the capital many have already heard that Tuan Tuan is someone I picked up…"

Xiao Yuanhang's eyes flashed: "So what? Who dares to question? Let them come to the mansion and confront me directly!"

Cheng Ru'an laughed: "Yes, yes, I was overthinking; now that the prince is awake, those people certainly won't dare to gossip anymore."

Xiao Yuanhang continued: "Tomorrow I will go to the palace, have an audience with the emperor, report this matter, and seek the title of commandery princess for Tuan Tuan."

"As Xiao Yuanhang's legitimate daughter, she deserves this honor; henceforth, when dealing with imperial relatives, how could we let Tuan Tuan be inferior?"