Chapter 42

The passage mentions Xiao Yin, Shang Jing, the Empress Dowager, and the Ninth Imperial Uncle, and later introduces the title "Executing Evil Before the Hall".

Also, the chapter title is "Executing Evil Before the Hall".

It contains the title Princess Consort.

Yeah!

It features Imperial Concubine Cao and the Empress Dowager.

It includes the Rui Wang residence, the Princess Consort, and the Empress Dowager.

It lists Princess Changping, Imperial Concubine Cao, and the Princess Consort of Rui.

It mentions the Imperial Uncle and a divorce letter.

It references Princess Changping, brings up a divorce letter, and the speaker says they also want to hear the excitement.

A burst of hearty laughter came from outside the Lan Yue Pavilion, and then two figures appeared at its entrance. Walking toward them was a middle‑aged beautiful lady wearing a silver‑crimson brocade skirt with an orange outer robe; in her full attire she bore a dignified aura. She was the Grand Princess Rui, long widowed and highly esteemed in Shang Jing. If one could find fault with anyone else, she had none—she had remained chaste after her husband's death, raised her son alone, often set up porridge sheds in the suburbs to aid the poor, and many charitable halls in Shang Jing were founded by her. She only wished to do more good deeds to bless her son's safety, so her reputation in Shang Jing was quite good. Yet this time she was cautiously accompanied by Gu Jiu Ling, who dressed modestly today in a sky‑blue long skirt, her makeup proper, no elaborate hairpins or jeweled ornaments on her bun, only a simple mutton‑fat jade hairpin. She looked especially dignified and simple, exuding a grand air. The instant Xiao Yin saw Gu Jiu Ling, he instinctively rose and strode a few steps toward her, grabbing her wrist; his handsome brows knitted tightly. Gu Jiu Ling knew that today she had caused Xiao Yin trouble. But because it involved Su Wanrou, she dared not gamble in front of him. Have the people of the Rui Wangfu all died? He stared at her, feeling as if he wanted to devour her. Unless Xiao Yin did it on purpose, he rarely loses composure before so many people; now anyone with eyes could see his concern for her. Gu Jiu Ling's heart pounded wildly—filled with bewilderment, scrutiny, and fear of the future. Her wrist ached from being pinched, when suddenly the Grand Princess Rui standing nearby covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed: "I've long heard that Ninth Brother has taken a new wife, treasured as if she were a jewel."

My poor son also has a hard fate; today I happened to meet my sister‑in‑law, knowing she knows a bit of medicine, I pulled her to sit with me for a while, not expecting to be late.

How come no one is to be seen just now, yet Ninth Brother has become so flustered?

All right, all right, all right! I'll return the person to you! Rest assured, not a single hair of yours is missing.

Grand Princess Rui laughed as she gently pushed Gu Jiu Ling into Xiao Yin's embrace; the ladies around, under her jesting, saw the atmosphere ease a little, yet this eased atmosphere grew a bit strange. Everyone turned their gaze to Su Wanrou and the maid Dujuan kneeling on the ground—accusations of illicit relations with men, secret letters, clandestine meetings with outsiders—wasn't all that nonsense? The Princess Consort of Rui was accompanying Grand Princess Rui; just the reputation of Grand Princess Rui alone could crush all idle gossip. Su Wanrou stared fixedly at Gu Jiu Ling, a look of incredulous astonishment flashing across her face; she felt tense and cold all over, her body involuntarily trembling. How could this be? How could it possibly happen? Impossible! Absolutely impossible! When Gu Jiu Ling had fainted earlier, she had personally seen her being taken away by Gu Nanxiang's people, and she had also witnessed it. Gu Jiu Ling had fallen into Gu Nanxiang's hands—there was certainly no good fate awaiting her—so how could this be now? She had originally bribed the rough‑servant maid beside Gu Jiu Ling, fabricated this tale of illicit relations with an outsider, and planned that after a few days, when Gu Jiu Ling's rotting corpse was found by Xiao Yin in a brothel, she would deny her peace and heap shame upon her. But now everything has changed. Grand Princess Rui also sensed the discord in the air; she hurriedly paid respects to Empress Dowager Ning'an: "Your Majesty, this is——" Empress Dowager Ning'an, a fortunate survivor of the bloody massacres in the Imperial Harem, had seen every sort of plot and scheme; she did not expect to be played twice by Gu Jiu Ling. Her complexion faltered a little, and she shifted her anger onto Su Wanrou. Truly a fool unfit for the table, previously she had wanted to use her—so stupid, incapable of great responsibility. Her face turned cold: "Miss Su, will you not give this old woman an explanation?"

Su Wanrou fell to her knees with a thud. How could she explain? How could she be made to explain? She suddenly pointed at Dujuan, who had been kneeling on the ground for over an hour, and cursed: "Well done! I never imagined you would harbor such wolfish ambition!"

How dare you frame your master? What secret letters with outsiders, what illicit relations—you have gall! I, too, was thinking of the Prince's welfare; only pig fat blinded my heart could I believe your nonsense.

Because I was worried about the Princess Consort's safety, I brought you here; I never expected you would dare to deceive me.

Dujuan was completely dazed—wasn't it Miss Wan who gave her silver to make her speak like that? "Miss Wan, this isn't what you told me to—" Dujuan's words had not yet finished when Su Wanrou suddenly pulled out her hairpin and stabbed it at her mouth. Instantly fresh blood spurted from Dujuan's lips, her tongue pierced through, and she could hardly speak. In this moment, Su Wanrou acted with extraordinary cruelty and bloodshed; some noble ladies were frightened stiff, others covered their mouths and vomited. "Bold! How can one commit murder before the hall? Seize her!"

Grand Princess Rui's face underwent a drastic change, her scalp feeling somewhat numb. Usually the Lady Wan of the Rui Wangfu appeared gentle and weak, but now, flying into a rage, she turned out this vicious—she felt there was not a single normal person in the Rui Wangfu. "Hold on!"

Xiao Yin turned and knelt before Empress Dowager Ning'an.