Chapter 381

Zhong Liulang's disgust was written all over his face.

Li Qingluo slowly lowered her bow, mouth coldly laughing: "Turns out the rules of this Xia Miao Hunting Grounds, for you, Commander Zhong, can be disregarded."

Now is the time when all young ladies go hunting.

To avoid accidental injury, all young gentlemen must immediately stop all hunting when the horn sounds.

Even if the game stands right before you, you must not move a hand.

And this Zhong Liulang clearly knows the rules, but merely to cause trouble for Li Qingluo, he broke them.

It's truly disgusting.

Hearing her mockery, Zhong Liulang paid no attention at all.

"You, a daughter of a criminal official, still dare to judge me here—what are you even?"

Li Qingluo raised her hand to draw the bow, and without blinking, released the arrow.

Zhong Liulang gave a low shout: "Your Highness, be careful——"

The Fourth Prince and Fourth Prince Consort beside them both turned pale with shock.

However, the arrow merely grazed past Zhong Liulang's ear like a gust of wind.

A strand of hair was cut off.

With a "whoosh", Li Qingluo's arrow actually shot straight into a deer's neck!

Que'er and Pan Li couldn't help exclaiming: "Great shot!"

The Pan family's servants and Zheng Mama hurriedly chased after.

Zhong Liulang stiffened his neck and turned his head.

The Fourth Prince and Fourth Prince Consort also couldn't help turning their heads to look.

Seeing that not far behind them a deer had somehow appeared, and in the blink of an eye this woman had hunted it down……

Zhong Liulang's face was extremely grim.

"You——you did it on purpose!"

He gritted his teeth and snarled: "Bold Li Qingluo, you dare to shoot at the Fourth Prince—this is insubordination!"

"If you had injured Your Highness, what crime would you deserve?"

Li Qingluo: "If there's a mistake, isn't it also a mistake against you, Commander Zhong?"

She provoked him like this, yet Zhong Liulang had never suffered such humiliation at the hands of any young lady.

However, Li Qingluo no longer wanted to deal with him; she quickly dismounted with Pan Li, then respectfully greeted the Fourth Prince Duan Rongxuan: "Your servant, your commoner, pays respects to the Fourth Prince, Fourth Prince Consort."

The Fourth Prince Consort raised her hand, about to call for them to rise.

However, the Fourth Prince Duan Rongxuan curled his lip and said: "So it's the two of you."

"Had I known you were the two ladies, I would not have taken what others liked."

"Lowly servant, go!"

"Go pick up that rabbit and bring it to Eldest Miss Li and Eldest Miss Pan."

The Fourth Prince ignored Zhong Liulang's increasingly grim expression and jerked the hemp rope behind him.

A figure intimately familiar to Li Qingluo was thus dragged out from behind their servants in a sorry state.

Pan Li whispered low, "Liu Qingzhu? How did she become like this?"

That was indeed Liu Qingzhu.

At this moment her wrists were bound, and a long hemp rope was held in Duan Rongxuan's hand.

However, she had completely lost her former splendor and appearance.

Who could still recognize that she was once the illustrious eldest daughter of Dongyin Alley?

Her whole body was gaunt and skeletal, and her clothes were the lowest‑rank servant's garb.

Her hair was a clump of dry, withered weeds atop her head.

Her expression was blank and numb, and when she saw Li Qingluo's figure, a hint of terror and panic flashed in her eyes.

"The prince told you to fetch the prey; are your ears deaf?"

Duan Rongxuan grabbed the long whip nearby and cracked it hard across Liu Qingzhu's body.

Liu Qingzhu let out a scream, fell to the ground and sobbed, "Stop… Your Highness, stop beating the servant…"

Duan Rongxuan's face twisted viciously, "Wretch, shut up!"

"The prince said you're not worthy of calling the prince Your Highness!"

"What should I call…?"

Liu Qingzhu, panicked, crawled on the ground and answered, "Benefactor, you are the servant's benefactor!"

"If you hadn't kindly granted the servant a miserable life to live, I would have died long ago…"

She choked out the words, then quickly got up, rushed toward the prey, lifted the blood‑splattered rabbit, and ran to Li Qingluo, presenting it with both hands.

"Miss Li, Miss Pan, please accept the benefactor's prey…"

Before the words finished, Duan Rongshi tugged the rope in his hand again, and Liu Qingzhu let out a scream as she was flung several meters away.

But she didn't even dare to lie down; she immediately scrambled up and hurried back to the servant group, lowering her head obediently.

Duan Rongxuan: "Miss Li, the prince's wretched slave, do you like what you see?"

Li Qingluo lowered her brows, "I, a frightened commoner girl, this is Your Highness's person; I dare not speak rashly."

Duan Rongxuan: "What's there to be afraid of? This wretch once caused you great suffering, didn't he?"

"He stole the identity of your Li family's prized daughter for sixteen years, and even coaxed the king to act with her in a play that deceived the entire Jiangjun Fu."

"If it weren't for her, how would you have endured all those hardships over the years?"

"You wouldn't have been misjudged and suffered endless grievances from your father, brothers, and mother."

I... I, the Prince, was also bewitched by her before; now I've sobered up and realized she's a troublemaker. Let this Prince vent your anger, okay?

The Fourth Prince's consort listened at the side, her expression very unpleasant.

Duan Rongxuan has now gone mad regardless of occasion.

With so many people around, he openly flirted with this Li Qingluo—he's shameless, yet I still care about face!

Your Highness, let's go.

I'm not feeling well.

The Fourth Prince's consort spoke, looking uncomfortable, and Duan Rongxuan surprisingly didn't get angry.

He only said 'buzzkill', then took Liu Qiongzhu's hand, and the crowd finally left in a mighty throng.

Zhong Liu Lang's sinister gaze lingered on Li Qingluo; she turned back and openly met his eyes, her gaze even colder than his.

Only after their group had completely departed did Li Qingluo and Pan Li pick up the bloodied rabbit and rise.

Pan Li: 'This Duan Rongxuan is really a lunatic!'

After all, Liu Qiongzhu was once his favored concubine, yet he tortured her into this state!

Although Liu Qiongzhu wasn't anything good either, seeing a living person tortured into neither human nor ghost filled Pan Li with indignation.

Li Qingluo: 'Do you know what's going on?'

Pan Li: 'I also heard from... my second brother that Duan Rongxuan went blind, lost the Prince Yun title, and then in his own mansion acted like a madman, tormenting others for fun.'

Coincidentally, at that time Liu Qiongzhu escaped from the Jiangjun Fu and fled back to Prince Yun's Mansion.

Prince Yun, hearing from servants that she might have lost her virtue, demoted Liu Qiongzhu to a lowly third-rank servant.

Besides making her do rough work, all day she was either punished by having cold water poured on her while standing, or forced to crawl on the ground like a dog, begging for food with her mouth.

Everyone in the Fourth Prince's mansion, even the servants, tormented her to death.

If it weren't for the Fourth Prince's consort, who couldn't bear to watch and secretly rescued her several times, she would probably have died long ago.

Speaking of it, it's indeed miserable.

Li Qingluo listened, her heart unable to clarify what she felt.

Liu Qiongzhu's fate today is exactly what I most wanted when I spared her life back then.

But her tenacious vitality also earns my admiration.

Li Qingluo thought of her past life, in that Jiangjun Fu, the suffering she endured wasn't the same as Liu Qiongzhu's now?

Karma cycles, and now it's Liu Qiongzhu's turn to taste the suffering I endured in my previous life.

Having secured the game, Li Qingluo hurriedly led Pan Li onward.

Soon they arrived at the place agreed upon with the Grand Princess.

Three li to the southeast lies an open riverbank.

Pan family's martial maids stepped forward to lead the horses to drink and graze, while Li Qingluo and Pan Li squatted by the river to wash their hands.

Que'er saw fish in the river, delighted: 'Miss, would you like some grilled fish?'

Having said that, she rolled up her pant legs, preparing to go into the river.

Suddenly, a rustling came from the bushes behind.

Yo, look who this is!

They actually hunted a deer?

Pan Li, your martial maids really do have some genuine hunting skill—I had underestimated the palace.

As the words fell, Noble Consort Jing Pei Zixuan, followed behind by Cui Shiyi Niang, Cui Jiu Niang, and also Cui Qi Lang, the Young Lady of Nanping, and a group emerged from the woods on horseback.

Li Qingluo and Pan Li bowed in greeting.

Cui Jiu Niang and Cui Qi Lang both friendly nodded at them.

Pan Li rose and said, 'Who said it was my maid who hunted the deer?'

Clearly——

Li Qingluo grabbed Pan Li, smiling slightly: 'Your luck isn't bad either—you hunted a white fox.'

Nanping rushed over happily: 'Big sister Luor! Big sister Pan Li!'

Great, I've been looking for you for ages. Finally found you!

But that white fox wasn't hunted by us girls; it was Cui Qi Lang who caught it to give to Jiu Niang.

Cui Jiu Niang and Pei Jingzhe will be married next month.

So the Cui and Pei families have grown close lately.

Cui Shiyi Niang: 'Young Lady, we certainly don't want to go with you! Will you come with us or not?'

Cui Shiyi Niang said while giving Pan Li a fierce glare, 'Someone like you, a deceitful trickster, I'd never deign to travel with!'

Pan Li: ……

She looked aggrieved: 'Eleven Niang, where on earth have you been? You've made me search so hard!'

I clearly had an appointment to meet you, but when I arrived at the agreed place, you weren't there.

I even thought you had stood me up.

The wronged Cui Shiyi Niang:

You……

Pan Li: 'Ah right, when I went, I happened to see the noble young lady leave.'

Noble young lady, did you happen to see Eleven Niang when you passed by there earlier?

Could we have missed each other? How strange……

Pei Zixuan's heart jolted.

Were they also nearby at that time?

Could they have heard what she and Granny said?

Pei Zixuan's heart pounded, and unease rose within her.

She stared coldly at Pan Li and Li Qingluo, as if hoping to see some clue on their faces.

No!

Pan Li has far too many secrets; she must not be allowed to remain smug.

"Go, bring their deer over here for this palace to have a look."

A flicker of darkness crossed Pei Zixuan's eyes; she wanted Pan Li to make a mistake.

Thus they could punish her according to the law, and no one could find fault.

However, Pan Li, just as before, would anxiously block anyone who tried to take her belongings.

When the servants had lifted the deer to Pei Zixuan's feet, she smiled: "Noble young master, you surely wouldn't take the deer that Luo'er hunted, would you?"

"If you just want to look, then look."

"After all, with so many eyes watching, there won't be any brazen stealing..."

Pei Zixuan froze.

Even Cui Qilang was surprised.

This deer was actually hunted by Miss Li?

Nanping beamed with admiration: "Luo'er sister, I knew it was you!"

Li Qingluo: "Just luck."

Pei Zixuan was in a dilemma, unable to back down.

She certainly wanted to seize the deer outright.

Given Pan Li's resentful nature, she would surely cause a huge scene.

Then she could take the opportunity to force her into a serious mistake, such as accidentally slapping herself...

Daring to be rude and use force against an imperial consort, no matter whose game this is, Pan Li will be utterly finished today.

And on our side, no one will testify for her.

It's just Li Qingluo—who would believe what she says?

As long as Pan Li's mistake is a fact.

And if Li Qingluo could be dragged down with her, that would be an excellent opportunity...

Pei Zixuan said, then immediately dismounted.

She jerked out the arrow embedded in the deer, heedless of the blood spatter on herself, and flung the shaft aside.

Then she looked at Pan Li and Li Qingluo: "This deer is now mine."

Princess Nanping: "What did you say?"

"Pei Zixuan, do you think we're blind?"

Pei Zixuan turned her head to look at Cui Qilang behind her.

Cui Qilang blinked for a moment, then still silently called out: "Young mistress, you also want a fox, don't you?"

"I happen to have previously encountered a red fox; shall I take you into the woods to look for one?"

Before Princess Nanping could react, Li Qingluo and Pan Li both knelt, paying respects to those behind Pei Zixuan.

"Greetings, Elder Princess; greetings, Crown Princess Consort."

"Greetings, Prince Su, Your Highness."