Chapter 161: Seeking Revenge

Xiang Tang Courtyard.

Wan Tang was leaning on the soft couch, nursing the Princess, while the morning light gently streamed through the window lattice onto mother and daughter.

The little Princess suckled sweetly, her pink little hand unconsciously clutching her mother's robe.

Suddenly, Xiao Shunzi staggered into the inner chamber, unable to bow properly, and shouted urgently, "Master! A Secret Letter sent at great risk by Kunning Palace's informant!"

He presented two blood‑stained letters, the slanted characters on the covers showing they were written in haste.

Wan Tang's heart tightened, and she carefully handed her daughter to the wet nurse.

She opened the first letter, marked "Qi Qi personally opens".

When she unfolded the second letter, whose paper bore "Lady Wan personally opens",

her fingertips suddenly trembled, revealing only seven hurried blood‑stained characters:

Take my son back.

The blood‑stained words were shocking in the morning light, the letter fell to the ground, and Wan Tang's complexion turned as white as paper in an instant.

"Master?" Xiao Shunzi anxiously picked up the letter.

Wan Tang sprang to her feet: "Immediately send the letter to Qifu! Ping'er, prepare a sedan chair to Kunning Palace!"

Li Ping'er hurriedly intervened: "Master! You are still in confinement; you must not be exposed to wind!"

Before she finished speaking, a sharp voice came from outside the hall, Li Defu calling, "Yo! Lady Wan, where are you going?"

Li Ping'er, upon seeing Li Defu, instantly resembled a cat whose tail had been stepped on—her fur bristling, eyes bulging, yearning to pounce and bite.

Wan Tang's expression was as still as water.

Li Defu, however, seemed unfazed, swaggering grandly as he entered.

He chuckled oddly, "If you want to see the Qi Lady of Grace, there's no need."

"I have already been there."

"It's just that, thinking you two are close, I came to let you know."

Wan Tang sneered coldly, her voice icy, "Well, thank you for the trouble, Grandfather."

"I am acting on the Emperor's orders, delivering questions to the Qi Lady of Grace. Tsk tsk, who knew that when I arrived, she refused to leave, saying 'there is no longer any joy in life.'"

He deliberately elongated his tone, squinting as he admired Wan Tang's gradually paling complexion: "In the end, she slammed her head against the wall!"

"What a pity, women are weak; she didn't die, only a bit of skin on her forehead broke, all bloody, looking truly pitiful."

Li Ping'er trembled with anger, her teeth chattering.

Wan Tang pressed her hand down, signaling her to calm down.

Li Defu grew more smug, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret: "I am kind‑hearted; I gave her a hand."

"Find a belt to hang on the beam; tsk tsk, her body is so limp that it was still trembling when I hung it."

He lewdly licked his lips, "If she weren't desperate to die, I'd really like to 'inspect' her properly…"

"Beast!" Li Ping'er could no longer hold back, screaming as she lunged forward.

"Come back!" Wan Tang barked sharply, her voice as cold as ice.

Li Ping'er froze in place, tears falling in large drops.

Li Defu laughed heartily, smugly smoothing his sleeves: "Yangxin Hall and Xiang Tang Courtyard are close, so I stopped by for a drink of water. Now that the water is finished, I should return to report."

After Li Defu left, Li Ping'er wiped away her tears.

She said plaintively, "Master, why won't you let me give him a slap?"

"Even if the Qi Lady of Grace is whatever she is, that's still a living human life!"

Wan Tang's expression grew solemn: "Did you never wonder why Li Defu came?"

Li Ping'er fell silent.

Wan Tang's face turned terrifyingly cold: "He came specifically to provoke us; after all, at this moment they still can't find a reason to fault us."

Li Ping'er's pupils widened, then gradually softened.

Her voice was full of remorse.

She whispered, "Master, I'm sorry, I was almost about to cause a great disaster again."

"Ping'er, I know you hate him."

Wan Tang's voice softened further, speaking gently, "But this beast is, after all, someone close to the Emperor."

"To the Emperor, he also rendered a life‑saving favor."

"Dealing with such a person, death would be far too easy."

"If we are to exact revenge, we must make his life worse than death!"

Li Ping'er, thoughtful, nodded heavily: "I, your servant, will obey you."

At dusk, Xiao Shunzi led two meek eunuchs hurriedly into Xiang Tang Courtyard.

When the palace gate closed, the two men abruptly tore off their eunuch caps, revealing the pale faces of Qi Qi and Qi Er.

"Madam!" Qi Qi, as soon as he opened his mouth, fell to his knees, "My humble servant heard the little girl…"

Before the words finished, Li Ping'er, eyes reddened, recounted everything Li Defu had said earlier that day.

Upon hearing the words "beam," Qi Qi let out a sob‑like wail, his whole body leaning straight backward.

"Father!" Qi Er hurriedly supported the elder, his knuckles whitening from the strain.

He silently steadied his father, and when he looked up, his eyes were tinged with blood: "Madam, this humble subject wishes to serve like a dog and horse."

He bowed heavily, his forehead pressing the cold hard ground, "I only ask of you one thing, that Li Defu and the Empress meet a bad end!"

Wan Tang stared at his twisted face, speaking softly, "Your father has long agreed to cooperate with my palace."

"Not enough," Qi Er snapped his head up, a terrifying madness swirling in his eyes, "Lady Wan's Yunxiang Pavilion plan is clever, yet it has three fatal flaws."

He suddenly drew a ledger from his sleeve, "If we implement it now, in just three months it will alarm the Xiao Family."

Moreover, the wealth of women in the capital should not be underestimated; the Empress's methods can only attract destitute households. And how many useful things can those people actually have?

Wan Tang's eyes flickered slightly, but she said calmly, "I can give you what you want."

"I also hope you can give me the shop I desire."

Qi Er's face was filled with sorrow and anger, and upon hearing it he gasped, "The Empress doesn't want to know how I will act?"

"Aren't you afraid I'm merely bluffing?"

She raised her hand to stop Qi Er from speaking, "As for how to proceed, I neither wish to inquire nor bother to waste effort."

She lightly tapped the ledger with her fingertip, "Since it's entrusted to you, I can rest assured."

Qi Er froze in place, as if unable to believe he had been trusted so easily.

Amid the candle's crackle, Wan Tang handed him most of the recent rewards, saying, "Do a good job."

Whether it's Li Defu or the Empress, in the Imperial harem they are intertwined like tangled roots.

If you fail, seeking revenge is far from easy.

When dusk completely swallowed the palace walls, Qi Er, bearing his fainted father, stepped out of West Pond Courtyard.

【Should I say Tangtang's mind is useful or not?】

【Could the upstairs please, if you see any boss, slowly analyze how to improve?】

【Moreover, Qi Er's ability is rare in the capital; even the Emperor personally invited him, yet people are unwilling to enter the court as officials.】

【Alright, with the Qi Family's great support, Wan Tang's future path will be much smoother.】

【Please, it's not just the Qi Family; we Xiao Chuan are also working hard, okay? Xiao Chuan completely placed Xu Chengyuan under house arrest, even delivering meals himself. Using the pretext of caring for Xu Chengyuan at home, he, as the sole son, went to rally Xu Chengyuan's former troops.】

【Given Xiao Chuan's outstanding battlefield performance before, now many people are willing to respectfully call him General Xiao Chuan.】

Hearing that Xu Yanchuan's side was also so impressive, Wan Tang felt very gratified.

The Tiger Tally has not yet been placed in anyone's hands.

The Emperor said he will not give it to the Xu Family again.

But that was the Emperor's words.

Since the Emperor is unwilling, we must act so that the Emperor has no choice but to be willing.

Wan Tang smiled, playing with her daughter's cute little face, teasing the adorable baby.

"Sister." A delicate voice called from the doorway.

Wan Tang felt goosebumps rise instantly.

Lin Wanyi, holding the Emperor's arm, stepped over the threshold, walking toward Wan Tang…